Journey Named PMEA Finalists

Journey Digital is delighted to announce that RealTime, our work with UCB and Costello Medical, has been shortlisted at the 2026 Pharmaceutical Market Excellence Awards (PMEAs). The programme is a finalist in the Excellence in Managing Mature Portfolios and Products category, with winners revealed on 19th November.

It's a proud moment for the joint team. RealTime proves that a brand 17 years into its lifecycle can still grow, and that great digital experience has a real role to play in getting there.

About the category

The PMEAs celebrate the best of pharmaceutical marketing across the UK and Europe. The Excellence in Managing Mature Portfolios and Products category recognises brands launched more than three years ago that have faced fresh competitive, environmental or resourcing pressure, and still delivered continued growth so patients keep benefiting.

Judges look for a clear grasp of the barriers to appropriate brand use, sharp strategic thinking that links objectives to delivery, and real behaviour change among healthcare professionals. Entries are scored on context, objectives, approach and measures of success.

The work: RealTime

UCB's rheumatology brand CIMZIA® launched in 2009 and remains important for women of childbearing age with chronic rheumatic disease and for people with rheumatoid arthritis and high rheumatoid factor levels but as newer medicines took priority, the European team had fewer people and tighter budgets to keep doctors engaged.

Rather than simply doing more digital, UCB set out to make every interaction count. Together with Costello Medical and Journey, the team built RealTime: an always-on, data-driven programme run from Europe and adapted locally.

At its heart are 'Pulses', content packages built around topics that matter to rheumatologists. Each Pulse brings complex evidence to life through editorial webpages, expert video, interactive summaries and visual data, designed to feel more like a consumer experience than traditional pharma content.

Every interaction feeds a continuous loop, while engagement data shapes the next Pulse and flags 'hot leads' for field teams, so reps can spend their limited face-to-face time on the right doctors and the right conversations.

The results speak for themselves:

• Over 5,500 healthcare professionals engaged across 15 European markets.

• An 18% improvement in understanding of complex clinical messages among doctors reached through digital and field engagement.

• Targeted doctors 2.6 times more likely to maintain or grow their engagement than non-targeted peers.

• Growth from 12 Pulses in 8 markets to 40 Pulses in 15, at essentially flat cost.

• 2,400+ field suggestions and 200+ hot leads, with brand sales growing rather than simply holding steady.

One clinician on the programme's steering committee called it one of the best digital campaigns they had seen from any pharma company.

A shared win

The shortlisting continues Journey's long partnership with UCB, following our 2022 London Design Awards Silver for the UCB Impact Aid. We’re looking forward to 19th November!