Jane joined MedImmune, formerly Cambridge Antibody Technology (CAT), in September 1993.

Through a number of increasingly senior roles she originated several key publications and patents, and also made a significant contribution to the discovery and development of marketed drugs and more than 40 clinical candidates.

Prior to joining CAT, Jane obtained a First Class degree in Natural Sciences (Biochemistry) from the University of Cambridge and completed a PhD at the John Innes Centre for Plant Science Research in Norwich. This was followed by a post doctoral position at Rutgers University, New Jersey before moving into medical research through a British Heart Foundation Post Doctoral Fellowship at the Department of Medicine at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

In 2010 Jane won the Institute of Directors’ East of England Business Woman of the Year Award in recognition of her contribution to the successful integration and development of CAT and MedImmune in Cambridge.

Jane is a member of the Board of the BioIndustry Association, a member of the Board of Babraham Bioscience Technologies and a member of the UK Medical Research Council Industry Grant Award Assessment Panel. She is an editor of both ‘Mab Journal’ and ‘Protein Engineering Design and Selection’.

LATEST PROJECT

VP Research and Development, MedImmune Cambridge

IND filing

IND filing of MEDI4276, MedImmune’s first bispecific antibody-directed conjugate – a drug candidate with real potential to help certain types of breast cancer patients (2015)

Presenting for new site

Presenting on behalf of AstraZeneca to the Cambridge City Council Planning Committee as part of the planning process for AstraZeneca’s new HQ building at the Cambridge BioMedical Campus – an opportunity to learn about engineering, sustainability, and the planning process and to explain the role of animals in supporting the delivery of medicines to patients (2015)

Giving evidence

Giving evidence at two Parliamentary Select Committees (Business; Science) with colleagues Mene Pangalos and Pascal Soriot during the take-over bid from Pfizer – providing a real insight into politics and business, and a great affirmation that there is strong commitment to science, patients and the scientific development of the communities and countries we work in which exists throughout the AstraZeneca organization (2014)

Featured Publications

Generation of related human scFv antibodies panel

Generation of a panel of related human scFv antibodies with high affinities for human CEA. Osbourn, J.K., Fields, A., Wilton, J., Derbyshire, E., Earnshaw, J.C., Jones, P.T., Allen, D and McCafferty, J. Immunotechnology 1996: 2; 181-196

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Directed selection of MIP-1 neutralising CCR5 antibodies

Directed selection of MIP-1 neutralising CCR5 antibodies from a phage display human antibody library. Osbourn, J.K., Earnshaw, J.C., Johnson, K.S., Parmentier, M., Timmermans, V. and McCafferty, J. Nat. Biotech. 1998: 16; 778-781

 

Generating human antibodies for autoimmune disease

Current methods for the generation of human antibodies for the treatment of autoimmune disease. Osbourn, J.K., Jermutus, L., Duncan, A.R. Drug Discovery Today 2003: 8(18) 845-851.

Awards and honors

2014

One of top 50 UK women in BioBusiness (BioBeat; 2014)

2010

East of England Business Woman of the Year Award (IOD; 2010)

1987

Mosseri Prize for Biological Sciences (University of Cambridge; 1987)

I love working for MedImmune because of the passion of our people for great science, and our ability to turn this science into life-improving drugs.

Jane Osbourn VP Research and Development, MedImmune

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