Buddie leads swine flu fight

Jun 30 2009 by Cameron Hay, Paisley Daily Express

A PAISLEY scientist is leading the fight against swine flu.

And the Buddie has warned she expects the virus to be even more vicious once the winter months arrive.

Jane Horan, a biology graduate , has been heading up a team of top scientists in the global testing of a wide range of vaccines and biopharmaceuticals as the outbreak continues to spread.

And the 44-year-old expert has said the deadly bug is here to stay.

Jane, who lives in the Dykebar area of the town, said: “I do think it will be more virulent in winter and, like many experts, I am expecting it to mutate and come back more virulent but, by that time, the vaccine will be developed and tested.”

A former pupil at Linwood High School, Jane is the founder and director of quality assurance at the Clydebank-based biotech company Vitrology, whose 25-strong team are playing a key role in the efforts to protect the public against the killer H1N1 influenza virus.

Jane said: “I think it really is down to your luck as to whether you get it or not. You are certainly more at risk from the virus if you are in poor health but it is not just going to affect you because you live in a less well-off area. It can hit anyone, anywhere.

“That said, when the first death was confirmed as having taken place in Paisley, my first thought was for the town. It has had a lot of bad press over the years and people really love to beat it down.

“Now it has had the first swine flu death outside the Americas and many people over the world will remember it. It was bound to happen sooner or later but I wished it wasn’t in my town.”

Glasgow woman Jacqueline Fleming became the first person in Europe to die from swine flu when she lost her fight for life at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley earlier this month.

She had been ill for some time and gave birth to a baby three months prematurely but, tragically, the new arrival also died at the RAH, although this death was not related to swine flu.

Jane and her colleagues lead a team of highly-experienced and qualified scientists who are playing a crucial role in making sure the swine flu vaccine will be safe for human use.

She said: “We are now engaged and locked into the global production schedules of H1N1 vaccine manufacturers and are now set with a range of viral tests to ensure the vaccine is safe for inoculation into people.

“The company will work round the clock to routinely test each production batch of human H1N1 vaccine, with initial batches being produced in August for testing.

“Once the vaccine is tested, human clinical trials will be performed before regulatory authorities can approve it for mass inoculation of the population.”

After graduating from university, Jane started her career with local company Life Technologies more than 20 years ago.

She is married to Paul, who works as an engineer, and is mum to six-year-old son Joshua and three-year-old daughter Emily.