UNC and GlaxoSmithKline join to find a cure for AIDS
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) -- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) pharmaceuticals announced Monday that they're teaming up to create a dedicated HIV Cure center and a jointly owned new company that will focus on finding a cure for HIV/AIDS.
The HIV Cure center will be located on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus and is a $20 million investment over five years for GSK. Leaders cautioned finding a cure will take time.
"We are not going to find a cure for HIV by Friday, okay? This is gonna take a long time, it's gonna require a lot of patience and a high tolerance for disappointments and setbacks," said GSK CEO Sir Andrew Witty.
The collaboration is expected to mean some new jobs as researchers move here from other locations.
"The excitement of this public-private partnership lies in its vast potential," said UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Carol L. Folt in a news release. "Carolina has been at the forefront of HIV/AIDS research for the last 30 years. This first of its kind, joint-ownership model is a novel approach toward finding a cure, and we hope it serves as an invitation to the world's best researchers and scientists. Today, Carolina's best are taking another major step in the global fight against HIV/AIDS."
