ORION CORPORATION
PRESS RELEASE
25 APRIL 2025 at 9.00 EEST
Orion and Criceto Announce a License Agreement for APORON®, an Innovative Apomorphine Spray to Treat OFF Episodes in Parkinson’s Disease
Orion Corporation (“Orion”) and Criceto IKM B.V. (“Criceto”) today announced the signing of an exclusive license agreement for the development and commercialization of APORON®, a novel apomorphine oromucosal spray for the treatment of OFF episodes in patients with Parkinson’s disease. APORON® is currently in Phase 3 development by Criceto.
Under the terms of the agreement, Orion will be granted an exclusive license to Criceto’s proprietary oromucosal apomorphine spray, in all global markets excluding the United States and Canada. The treatment is designed as a rescue treatment therapy to address OFF episodes—a challenging aspect of Parkinson’s disease that significantly impacts a patient’s quality of life.
As part of the agreement, Criceto will receive upfront payments, reimbursements for development costs, and royalties on future commercial sales.
“We are excited to enter this collaboration with Criceto,” said Hao Pan, Executive Vice President, Branded Products at Orion. “At Orion, we are committed to improving the lives of patients living with Parkinson’s disease. Our aim is to have treatment options for all stages of the disease and want to help patients every step of their way.”
“This partnership leverages Criceto’s expertise in developing advanced rescue treatments for Parkinson’s disease,” said Dr. Bert Tuk, Chief Executive Officer of Criceto. “We are proud to continue the development of our apomorphine oromucosal spray, which we believe has the potential to become the first-line rescue treatment for OFF episodes in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Through our collaboration with Orion, we are confident this therapy will reach patients who need it most.”
About Criceto IKM B.V.
Criceto is a privately held, innovation-driven pharmaceutical company focused on developing advanced rescue treatments for patients with Parkinson’s disease. Its lead product, APORON®, is an oromucosal apomorphine spray that is currently in Phase 3 development and aims to become the first-line treatment for managing OFF episodes. Criceto is headquartered in the Netherlands. For more information, please visit www.criceto.eu.
About Orion Corporation
Orion 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 and active pharmaceutical ingredients. Orion has 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 Orion are used to treat cancer, neurological diseases and respiratory diseases, among others. In 2024 Orion’s net sales amounted to EUR 1,542 million and the company employed about 3,700 professionals worldwide, dedicated to building well-being. Orion’s A and B shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
Contact person:
Hao Pan, Executive Vice President, Branded Products
tel. +44 16 3552 0300
Publisher:
Orion Corporation
Communications
Orionintie 1A, FI-02200 Espoo, Finland
www.orionpharma.com
