
Biotech Website Redesign for Clinical-Stage CNS Biopharma
Neuro-Pharmaceutical in Boston, MA gets a biotech website redesign.
Website project overview
Industry
Biopharma, CNS Disease
Client
Minerva Neurosciences
Solution
Website Design Makeover
A clinical stage central nervous system (CNS) disease biopharma required a new biotech website redesign to clarify their shift from a multi-asset startup to a Negative Symptoms (NS) biopharma. Negative symptoms include the inability to show emotions, apathy, difficulties talking, and withdrawing from social situations and relationships.
The Minerva team was keenly aware of the opportunity to be first-to-market with a FDA-approved NS drug, but they needed help with a unique, modern website design and clear messaging. So, the creative challenge was to zero in on the critical areas of change in order to reshape the website to reflect Minerva’s novel focus on NS disease.
Biotech
Website Redesign
Challenge
Minerva’s unique ability to innovate and address unmet needs for patients in large CNS disease groups (schizophrenia, MDD, insomnia and Parkinson’s) presents a significant commercial opportunities to investors and partners. Originally a multi-asset CNS biopharma, they realized a shift in focus to NS disease was important because NS is disease agnostic and disease symptoms often overlap.
And since Minerva is the only biopharma with a demonstrable headwind in negative symptoms, it became obvious they needed to change the emphasis on their site to a NS focus. They needed help identifying their key audiences and defining personas to speak to their needs.
Minerva required a unique approach to combine science and art into a new, clean, easy-to-navigate website.
Biotech
Website Redesign
Solution
The biopharma marketing experts on our team first had to learn more about the negative symptoms. We did this by asking 10 questions as part of our in-depth discovery process. We clarify expertise and goals and begin to define the audience personas and what makes them tick. We then create designs and craft content to speak to the target personas.
The second step required the creative lead to present several design variations with different functionalities. Each design was discussed and evaluated, ultimately settling on a design that most clearly express Minerva’s goals and focus on NS disease.
The client collaborated through each step of the biotech website redesign makeover, from page design to content (text and graphics) to WordPress development and QA. Our process allowed the client to fine-tune the messaging to speak to potential partners and adjust the design and animations to create an frictionless user experience.

One subtle solution was the use of conceptual images of trees. These images provide a softer expression of NS disease than that of photos of patients suffering from schizophrenia or depression. This provided colorful, curiosity-provoking images to balance the clear, explanatory text on the web pages.
The new site is both sensitive and clear, which is exactly what they client was looking for.
Is your biopharma pivoting? We are experts at navigating the complexity of helping you express a new, redefined focus through your websites or digital brand. Contact us to discuss your biotech or biopharmaceutical website makeover.