Working With Stars: Meet Jan Jepras, BSc

Sometimes you realize that your projects would go nowhere if a special person was not there to help. Meet Jan Jepras, PV Expert based in UK, extremely knowledgeable, a "get things done" person, high capacity, high efficiency, high quality contributor...

How did you begin working in PV?

With a biology degree and a research scientist role at Glaxo, I loved scientific work, but I discovered that I preferred writing up the work more than doing bench research. I almost went into regulatory affairs but met a brilliant mentor who introduced me to PV, which appealed to me because of my interest in medicines and patient care. This was about 30 years ago...

What has been one of the most meaningful moments in your career?

I have been lucky enough to work on several drugs which eventually reached patients. I supported the development of a flu drug when I was a student working in the lab which my husband later took many years later, it was comforting to think that I had contributed to this drug development. I also worked on some of the early HIV drugs, where I worked on early lab stages and then years later in post marketing settings as a PV scientist. Seeing products make a real difference for patients in HIV, diabetes and oncology during my career has been especially rewarding.

What do you think helped you being successful in your career?

I have always been interested in health and medical topics. On a day-to-day basis, I like analyzing data, medical writing, working in cross-functional teams. Being able to help patients in a proactive way, looking at the data with the view to providing a drug that is as safe as it can be and knowing about the risks and being able to contribute to that is a big driver. I thrive in situations where I can be my authentic self, where I can say what I think and make a difference that way. I like working with people, I like developing relationships with people, and I think this has in part been why I have been successful in my career.

What do you like in being a consultant?

In a corporate world, you have to conform a lot more, in how things are done and to some degree what you get to work on. Working as a consultant provides flexibility and variety in what I do. I get to meet new people, work on new products and in new therapy areas and I love that.

What do you like in working with JPCC?

I love working with JPCC because of the people and their knowledge and authenticity.  I can be completely myself with JP and the team and I really like that. Their support is unwavering and I don't have to pretend if I don’t know something or want a second opinion, and I'm completely comfortable doing that with everybody at JPCC.

What did you want to be when you were younger?

I had an interest in all things medical from a young age. I worked in a pharmacy at weekends and loved it.  At school I really enjoyed biology lessons which led me to study biology at university. But my interest in medicine and treating patients never went away and eventually led me toward pharmacovigilance.

If you could change one thing about PV with a magic wand?

I would like to see greater global harmonization in pharmacovigilance requirements and expectations. Things have evolved over the years I have worked in PV but there are still so many differences across the globe. Also, I would love to see companies elevate further the role of PV so that we involve PV earlier in critical development discussions.

What made you successful?

I started my career in PV entering cases into a safety database, learning the fundamentals from the ground up. That gave me the opportunity to understand the full process both in clinical trials and the post marketing setting, which has had a critical impact on me developing strong skills and judgment.

What does life outside work look like for you?

Outside of PV I am a yoga teacher. I trained during the pandemic and now teach classes as well as having my own daily yoga practice.  I have also begun writing a book about becoming a freelance pharmacovigilance consultant in the UK!

How would you like to be remembered?

As someone who did a good job, was good at what she did, and was pleasant and down to earth to work with. I really value authenticity and hope people see me as reliable, approachable, and supportive.

See Janet Jepras profile here.