Scaling for the Future: Digital Evolution in Pharma


From Research Roots to Commercial-Ready Digital Infrastructure
Ionis Pharmaceuticals® has long been a pioneer in RNA-targeted therapeutics, known for its innovation in antisense technology. Historically, its digital presence focused on research, investor relations, and corporate communications. As Ionis moved toward commercialization, it recognized the need for a digital ecosystem capable of supporting differentiated brand experiences, patient-centric content, and dynamic go-to-market strategies.


Laying the Foundation for Scalable, Compliant Growth

Phase2 partnered with Ionis to establish the technical foundation needed to scale for commercialization. Initially, the roadmap called for a phased approach, platform evaluations in 2023, budgeting in 2024, and launches in 2025. However, evolving business priorities accelerated this timeline. Ionis pivoted to execution, reinforcing its commitment to building adaptable systems aligned with regulatory and brand expectations.
To support this shift, Phase2 and Acquia implemented a scalable architecture using Acquia Site Studio and CMS Starter Kits. This technology stack enabled Ionis to launch brand sites more efficiently while preserving compliance and governance across all digital properties. By leveraging trusted Drupal modules, Ionis reduced development time, maintained consistency, and supported faster rollouts, resulting in an agile digital ecosystem aligned with its commercialization strategy.

Design Systems That Balance Control and Creativity
As Ionis expanded its commercial footprint, brand consistency and flexibility became essential. Phase2 designed a composable digital system that ensured a unified brand presence across all disease-state and product websites.
By implementing a component-based design system, Ionis achieved:
- Faster implementation with clear separation between content and business logic
- Early UI visualization to align stakeholder expectations
- Responsive, production-ready digital experiences across devices
- Greater flexibility for content teams through self-service editing on Ionis.com
This strategic collaboration ensured Ionis’ digital ecosystem remained scalable, adaptable, and in step with business growth.

Security and Compliance by Design
As a biotechnology company in a highly regulated industry, Ionis needed secure, compliant digital infrastructure to manage sensitive data and meet industry standards. Phase2 embedded compliance into the digital foundation, supporting HIPAA, GDPR, and FDA requirements from the start.

Key measures included:
- Role-based access controls (RBAC) for content integrity
- Acquia Cloud security monitoring and threat detection
- Regular patching of Drupal and third-party integrations
- Data encryption and secure hosting protocols
These safeguards provided Ionis with the confidence to engage patients and healthcare providers while mitigating risk.
This site — specifically the patient site — resonates highly with all of us at Ionis because it's building a community. It's helping people with this rare disease, hereditary angioedema, connect with other people who they wouldn't have otherwise met.
A Commercial-First Digital Ecosystem, Ready for Expansion
Through this strategic initiative, Ionis advanced its digital capabilities to support product launches, cross-functional collaboration, and scalable growth. By embracing a modular, flexible approach, the organization is now equipped to efficiently launch new commercial and disease-state websites while maintaining regulatory and brand alignment.
With the right tools, strategy, and governance in place, Ionis is positioned to scale its digital presence alongside its expanding pipeline, ensuring its online experience evolves with its groundbreaking therapies.
Ready to learn more? Register for our webinar.
Join our upcoming webinar on July 29, from 1-2PM EST, with Ionis Pharmaceuticals to explore how forward-thinking teams are aligning design, development, and regulatory readiness to take more control over launch timing.

Driven to Discover, Focused on Futures
Ionis unites groundbreaking science and technology with relentless passion to discover and deliver medicines that enable better futures for people living with serious diseases.
Our commitment to changing lives is a calling that pushes us to deliver the next solution for patients and those who care for them.