Orion comments on ANDA filing of generic versions of Orion s proprietary drug Stalevo® in the United States

Company states the realisation of generic competition is neither
certain nor imminent

Orion Corporation has been informed that an Abbreviated New Drug
Application (ANDA) has been filed with the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) by a generic drug company seeking authorisation
to produce and market generic versions of Stalevo® tablets
(25/100/200 and 37.5/150/200 mg strengths of
carbidopa/levodopa/entacapone) in the United States. Stalevo® is an
enhanced levodopa treatment originated by Orion Corporation and
marketed in the United States by its exclusive licensee, Novartis,
for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. At this point, the ANDA
review process is just beginning and the realisation of generic
competition is neither certain nor imminent.

The application contains so-called Paragraph IV certifications
challenging two of six Orion U.S. patents covering Stalevo and listed
in the Orange Book, the FDA's official listing of approved drug
products. The patents receiving Paragraph IV certifications are the
formulation patents, U.S. Patent No. 6,500,867 and U.S. Patent No.
6,797,732. According to the information received by Orion, the
remaining four U.S. patents (U.S. Patent Nos. 4,963,590,  5,112,861,
5,135,950 and 5,446,194), the latest of which expires on 19 October
2013, have not received Paragraph IV certifications in the
application.

Paragraph IV certifications are not uncommon in the USA.

Orion is, together with Novartis, currently evaluating its legal
options to protect its rights. Under the U.S. system, if a patent
owner brings a lawsuit against an ANDA applicant within a certain
time limit, there will be a 30-month stay of final FDA approval.
During that time, the FDA can give only a tentative approval to the
ANDA applicant unless the applicant obtains a favorable decision on
all challenged patents in the lawsuit.

ABOUT ORION
Orion is dedicated to treating and preventing disease by discovery
and developing innovative medicinal treatments. In 2006, Orion
generated sales of EUR 641.1 million, invested EUR 84.1 million in
research and development and employed approximately 3,060 people
Orion corporate headquarters are in Espoo, Finland.  For more
information, please visit:  http://www.orion.fi/english/.

Orion Corporation



Jukka Viinanen                                            Olli
Huotari
President and CEO                                      Senior VP,
Corporate Functions


Contact persons:
Jukka Viinanen, President and CEO, phone +358 10 426 3710
Olli Huotari, Senior VP, Corporate Functions, phone +358 10 426 3054




Statements in this news release other than historical information are
forward-looking statement subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual
results could differ materially depending on factors such as the
availability of resources, the timing and effects of regulatory
actions, the strength of competition, the outcome of litigation and
the effectiveness of patent protection. Additional information
regarding risks and uncertainties is set forth in Annual Report for
2006.





Publisher:
Orion Corporation
Communications
Orionintie 1A, FI-02200 Espoo
Homepage: www.orion.fi