Degree Student Adriana Novakova publishes paper in Vaccines journal

The paper's title is "Manufacturing and Financial Evaluation of Peptide-Based Neoantigen Cancer Vaccines for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer in the United Kingdom: Opportunities and Challenges." The paper is based on the final year thesis that Adriana submitted as part of her degree. It is a review evaluating the feasibility of introducing a peptide-based neoantigen cancer vaccine (NCV) to treat triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), using the UK as a healthcare model. 

TNBC is the most aggressive breast cancer subtype and is associated with a poor prognosis. It is costly to treat, costing the NHS around £230 million annually and up to £45,000 per patient. Neoantigen cancer vaccine therapies present a personalised alternative with the potential to use the body's immune system to fight the cancer. Adriana conducted a systematic paper review and concluded that while a best-case scenario would be financially viable, a worst-case scenario would not exceed cost thresholds and that further clinical research would be needed.

When Adriana submitted the paper to her final-year project supervisor, Dr Steffi Frank suggested she should write it up as a paper and submit it for publication. It was published with Adriana as the first author, Dr Stephen Morris and Dr Ludovica Vararelli from Vax Hub, and Dr Steffi Frank as co-authors. The team here at UCL Biochemical Engineering are very proud of this achievement and feels that it's a testament to the quality of the work that Adriana submitted; well done Adriana! 

Adriana took a year out of her degree to work at ViiV Healthcare, a company specialising in HIV research and development of medicines to treat and prevent HIV/AIDS. In addition to that experience, Adriana also spent some time working for a start-up but found she preferred the experience of being part of a large, structured organisation. Adriana very much wanted to work in the healthcare field in a job that would positively impact patients' treatments. She chose to study the Bioprocessing of New Medicines (Business and Management) BSc as it fit her ambitions and allowed her to experience working in a laboratory before deciding that it was her ambition to work in a people-facing role. 

Upon graduating, Adriana joined GSK plc after working at ViiV Healthcare having connected with the company's ethos and activities. She has joined as part of the Global Leadership programme, a GSK graduate scheme and is currently undertaking a rotation in global procurement before moving on to other projects. The photo above was taken at GSK's London offices on New Oxford Street. 

Find out more 

• Read Manufacturing and Financial Evaluation of Peptide-Based Neoantigen Cancer Vaccines for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer in the United Kingdom: Opportunities and Challenges. In Vaccines publication
• GSK's graduate programme
• Degrees at UCL Biochemical Engineering