Orion Pharma Logo PNG
Drug development involves research, testing, and manufacturing of medications used in medical practice. Quality control and compliance with standards remain key at every stage. The Orion Pharma logo represents a company that develops and manufactures medications to treat various diseases.
Orion was founded on September 21, 1917, in Helsinki by Onni Turpeinen, Eemil Tuurala, and Vikki Valkama. The first products included Ballistol gun oil and the sweetener dulcin. Starting in 1920, the company began producing aspirin, morphine, and eye ointments. In 1922, the company increased its capital, and pediatrician Arvo Ylppö became an investor. In 1925, he joined the board of directors.
In 1934, Orion moved to Vallila and was renamed Lääketehdas Orion Oy. That same year, it signed a contract with Novo Terapeutisk Laboratorium to supply insulin. In 1937, vaccine production began. By 1938, the company had 100 employees. In 1944, the company produced its first penicillin batches. In 1948, the company established a subsidiary, Oriola.
In 1952, German pharmacologist Joachim Alberti joined the company. He modernized its research activities. In 1962, the company opened a plant in Mankkaa. In 1966, the drug Diapalm was released. In 1970, the company established the joint venture Fermion. In 1981, Orion took full ownership.
In 1973, Uricult rapid tests were supplied to 40 countries. In 1983, the veterinary drug Domosedan appeared. In 1984, the company built a new office in Mankkaa. After acquiring the Farmos corporation in 1988, the merger was completed and fully formalized in 1990. In 1995, Orion was listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.
In 2002, the company acquired the Swedish firm Konans Droghandel. In 2003, it received approval to market Stalevo, a treatment for Parkinson’s disease. In 2014, it opened a plant in Salo specializing in packaging and logistics.
In 2018, Orion Diagnostica sold its division to an investor. In 2019, it was renamed Aidian. In the same year, the FDA approved Nubeqa, a darolutamide-based drug. In 2020, drug sales grew by 609 percent. In 2022, the FDA approved its use for combination therapy.
In 2024, the company received 130 million euros through partnership agreements with Bayer. In June 2025, the FDA approved a third indication for darolutamide.
The company raised its forecast, with net sales reaching between 1.63 and 1.73 billion euros and operating profit between 400 and 500 million euros.
Meaning and History
What is Orion Pharma?
A Finnish pharmaceutical company based in Espoo, part of a large research and manufacturing group, operating in more than 100 countries. It develops and produces medicines, active substances, and diagnostic tests for human and veterinary use. Key areas include cardiology (levosimendan), neurology (Comtess), oncology (Fareston, Flutamide), and respiratory therapy. The company operates production facilities in Finland and Denmark. The company has developed 27 drugs, including seven original ones. Well-known generics include Finoptin, Cardil, Nitro, Metypred, and Rehydron.
1917 – today
Orion was established in Helsinki on September 21, 1917. Pharmacists Onni Turpeinen, Emil Tuurala, and Wikki Walkama founded Orion O/Y after previously working at the Medica pharmaceutical and chemical factory. They borrowed the name from ancient Greek mythology. It referred to the hunter Orion and the constellation bearing his name.
Production began in a former plant-based butter substitute factory in the courtyard of a building on Mariankatu Street. The first product was Bellistol gun oil, while the artificial sweetener dulcin brought early commercial success. In the 1920s, the company began producing aspirin, morphine, and eye ointments.
The short name Orion suited international operations as the company expanded beyond Finland. Its English corporate name was Orion Corporation, and its Finnish name was Orion Oyj. Orion Pharma represented the pharmaceutical business. Adding “Pharma” identified the development and manufacture of medicines for people and animals, consumer healthcare products, and active pharmaceutical ingredients.
On April 1, 2004, the Finnish legal name was shortened from Orion-yhtymä Oyj to Orion Oyj. The English name Orion Corporation remained unchanged. In 2006, the group was divided into 2 publicly traded companies. The pharmaceutical and diagnostics businesses became part of the new Orion Corporation, while Oriola-KD continued handling pharmaceutical wholesaling.
By the mid-2000s, a logo featuring large blue “ORION” lettering was being used for pharmaceutical, veterinary, sanitary, and diagnostic products. It represented a later stage in the company’s history, following early packaging lettering and individual product marks. The name was set on a single horizontal line in heavy uppercase sans-serif letters.
The first “O” was larger than the other letters and had a horizontally elongated oval shape. A large white counter remained inside. A long curved line extended from its upper left section. It rose above the name, ran along the “R,” “I,” “O,” and “N,” and tapered toward the right edge. The remaining letters stood upright beneath the shared arc and had uniform stroke weights.
The initial “O” depicted the body of a retort, a laboratory vessel used for distillation. The letter’s extension resembled its outlet tube. The chemical instrument image was integrated into the name, connecting the logo to pharmaceutical manufacturing. The long upper stroke united the letters in a single design.
Blue represented Orion’s Nordic origins, reliability, and responsibility. In the earlier version, a dark shade on the left transitioned to a light shade on the right. The gradient gave depth to the heavy letters and arc. A flat version preserving the original contours was used for single-color printing.
A two-line ORION PHARMA wordmark appeared later. Large “ORION” lettering with the retort sat above a smaller “PHARMA.” The lower word was set in uppercase letters. It clarified the company’s specialty and helped distinguish the pharmaceutical brand from other organizations named Orion. The arc maintained a connection to the previous version.
By 2025, the logo had become more compact. The words “Orion Pharma” were placed side by side, each beginning with an uppercase letter followed by lowercase letters. The blue color and retort remained, while the capitalization and arrangement of the name changed.
The primary blue is RGB 0, 84, 158; HEX #00549E; CMYK 100, 47, 0, 0; and Pantone 2935. We prepared white and black versions for backgrounds where blue was difficult to distinguish. All versions preserve the logo’s overall design.
The veterinary business uses the name Orion Pharma Animal Health and a dark blue specified as RGB 0, 35, 74; HEX #00234A; CMYK 100, 60, 0, 65; and Pantone 655 C. Fermion, the manufacturer of active pharmaceutical ingredients, uses a separate visual identity. The names and color shades help distinguish the group’s divisions.
