Orion sees weaker profit in 2013

HELSINKI Feb 5 (Reuters) - Finnish drug maker Orion reported a weaker-than-expected quarterly profit and forecast a slight fall in operating profit this year amid increasing generic competition for its Parkinson's drugs.

Orion's quarterly operating profit was little changed from a year earlier at 59.4 million euros ($80.5 million), weaker than the market's average forecast of 63 million euros in a Reuters poll.

Orion said sales of products other than its Parkinson's drugs will grow, helping full-year net sales to be similar to the 980 million euros ($1.33 billion) reported for 2012, but that margins would be lower. ($1 = 0.7376 euros) (Reporting by Helsinki Newsroom)