GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and the
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, are partnering to find a
cure for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Each has pledged significant resources
to a new company, named Qura Therapeutics, with the goal of curing
HIV.
According to BuzzFeed
News, GSK has pledged $20 million over five years and roughly 10
of its scientists, while the University of North Carolina will
contribute 40 researchers and access to resources located on its
medical campus.
The pairing is unusual because it does
not revolve around any specific invention or technology.
“This sounds very open-ended,” said
Kenneth Kaitin, director of the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug
Development. “And I think this part of it is kind of usual.”
GSK and UNC-Chapel Hill have long been
involved in HIV/AIDS research.