UCB/OXO Cimzia® Packaging:
More Good Days!

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UCB, the global biopharmaceutical leader, spent many years developing Cimzia®, an innovative biological medication that can greatly alleviate the symptoms of Crohn’s Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Patients who live with these chronic diseases wake up each day hoping it will be a ‘Good Day.’ To support the patient’s desire for a better quality of life, UCB partnered with OXO, the company behind the Good Grips line of products that make everyday living easier through design. As OXO’s long-time design partner, Smart Design led the effort to design the Cimzia® platform.

The team spent time with patients, especially those with limited dexterity, to understand their experience. The resulting design is the first ever syringe and packaging designed for patients with arthritis, and makes patients feel more in control and empowered during the process of monthly self-injection. The brand promise is delivered through the device itself, the packaging, and the medication guide.

As part of the re-imagined brand experience, the syringe design incorporates several key benefits for the patient: the nonslip finger grip, a finger loop on the needle shield, an oversized plunger rod with a large rubberized thumb pad, and a clear oval syringe barrel that magnifies the plunger rod to improve visibility.

Cimzia®’s friendly packaging not only promotes compliance but provides a positive, caring user experience—a pretty radical concept by pharmaceutical packaging conventions. A curved front panel allows fingers to slide under and lift it open. Following three simple steps, the design leads users through a thoughtful and straightforward process. The tray accommodates a wide range of patients’ dexterity limitations when removing the syringe. The information hierarchy is clear and concise with a personal, conversational tone that is human and respectful.

The Medication Guide extracts key information from the full Patient Information Leaflet—another example of the user-driven design focus. The curve on the front flap follows the same ergonomic design as the box. The straightforward photograph on the front communicates the benefits and features of the delivery device at a quick glance, highlighting the ergonomic design and OXO brand collaboration.

The Cimzia® packaging was awarded a 2009 “red dot: communication design” award.