In 2013, nearly 35 million people were infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus that causes the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, reports The Wall Street Journal, citing data from the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS.

The Journal notes that among these people infected, about 1.5 million died of AIDS-related causes in 2013.

Therefore, the search for the cure for AIDS is a major interest among scientists and health professionals worldwide.

Recently, GlaxoSmithKline, a pharmaceutical company which also focuses on HIV-drug development, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill joined forces to find the cure for AIDS, the Journal adds. The partnership was announced in a news conference via a morning livestream on May 11.

Watch the video below. 

In a statement posted on The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill website, several experts expressed their views on the historical partnership.

"The excitement of this public-private partnership lies in its vast potential. 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, " said UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Carol L. Folt.

"Like UNC, GSK has a long legacy of HIV research success. From the development of the world's first breakthrough medicine for HIV patients in the 1980s, to our leadership in the market today through ViiV Healthcare, we're continuously challenging ourselves to meet the needs of patients. This partnership is a testament to our past and present leadership, innovation and commitment to this field. We are inspired by the confidence that with the right resources and research teams, we will be able to make a meaningful impact towards a cure for HIV," GSK CEO Sir Andrew Witty explained.

The Journal noted that this partnership will launch a research center and its sole purpose is to look for the ever elusive cure for AIDS.

Both parties are well-respected in their fields and this merging of a public entity with a private entity holds much promise as they work together in one roof, at an HIV Cure center to be located at the UNC, notes the Jounal.

"After 30 years of developing treatments that successfully manage HIV/AIDS without finding a cure, we need both new research approaches to this difficult medical problem and durable alliances of many partners to sustain the effort that will be needed to reach this goal," said Dr. David Margolis, director of the new HIV Cure center and a University of North Carolina medicine professor.

Both entities will also own Qura Therapeutics LLC, and the company will handle the intellectual property and business-related matters of the project, notes the Journal.