Finland: EIB lends €100 million to company Orion Pharma for new cancer and pain treatments

• EIB backs Finnish pharmaceutical company Orion Pharma with €100 million to advance innovative therapies in oncology, pain and other areas of unmet medical need
• Financing to support Orion Pharma’s clinical trials and other R&D activities
• Project strengthens Europe’s resilience and supply security for critical medicines

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is lending €100 million to Finnish pharmaceutical company Orion Pharma to develop new treatments for cancer, pain and other serious conditions with few treatment options.

The financing will support Orion Pharma’s research and development activities across its European centres, covering personnel costs, clinical trials, patenting and investments in specialised laboratory equipment. By reinforcing Orion Pharma’s long-term R&D capacity, the EIB is helping strengthen Europe’s competitiveness in advanced biopharmaceutical innovation.

“Europe’s strength lies in its ability to turn world-class science into real-world impact”, said EIB Vice-President Karl Nehammer. “By supporting Orion Pharma’s research pipeline, we are strengthening Europe’s pharmaceutical industry, improving access to critical medicines and ultimately delivering better outcomes for patients.”

The project also contributes to the EU’s strategic goal of enhancing supply security for essential medicines. Orion Pharma is a key producer of active pharmaceutical ingredients and participates in the EU’s Critical Medicines Alliance, supporting initiatives to reduce vulnerabilities in Europe’s pharmaceutical supply chains.

“We are pleased with the continued support from the European Investment Bank. This financing commitment will support our R&D efforts that are fundamental to our growth strategy and to our mission to build well-being”, said Orion Pharma Chrief Financial Officer René Lindell.

The project, Orion’s fifth with EIB Group support, reflects EU priorities on innovation, health resilience and industrial competitiveness.

Background

EIB GroupThe European Investment Bank (EIB) Group is the financing arm of the European Union, owned by the 27 Member States, and one of the largest multilateral development banks in the world. In 2025, the EIB Group signed €100 billion in new financing and advisory services for over 870 high-impact projects under eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, territorial cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, strong global partnerships and the savings and investments union. Beyond long-term loans for large infrastructure, the EIB Group crowds in private investment for high-risk innovative projects and businesses, with a growing role in Europe’s markets for venture debt, venture capital, guarantees and securitisations.

The European Investment Fund (EIF) is the subsidiary of the EIB Group specialised in providing guarantees and equity to improve access to finance for small and medium-sized businesses and startups across Europe. Acting as an anchor investor, through its extensive network of partnering banks and investment funds, the EIF mobilises private investment and nurtures the ecosystem of venture capital funds to support innovative European entrepreneurs.

In 2023, the EIF together with six Member States (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands) launched the European Tech Champions Initiative, a fund-of-funds to scale up innovative startups. To date, this initiative has already enabled the creation of 14 European venture capital mega-funds and scaled up 43 companies, including 11 unicorns (with more than €1 billion in capital).

Photos of the EIB Group's representatives and headquarters, logo files and video B-roll for media use are available here. 

Orion Pharma

Orion Pharma is a globally operating Nordic pharmaceutical company – a builder of well-being for over a hundred years. We develop, manufacture and market human and veterinary pharmaceuticals as well as active pharmaceutical ingredients, combining our trusted expertise with continuous innovation. We have an extensive portfolio of proprietary and generic medicines and consumer health products. The core therapy areas of our pharmaceutical R&D are oncology and pain. Proprietary products developed by us are used to treat cancer, respiratory diseases and neurological diseases, among others. In 2025 our net sales amounted to EUR 1,890 million, and we employ about 4,000 professionals worldwide, dedicated to building well-being.