HIV/AIDS

The illness AIDS is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which destroys the body's immune system.

People infected with HIV carry the virus for varying lengths of time before developing AIDS. A small proportion of people develop AIDS more rapidly while many will remain clinically well for 15 to 20 years.

Many people think that HIV and AIDS are no longer a health problem. This is untrue. While there are many medications available now—and more being discovered or approved every month—the disease continues to spread throughout the world.

The world is our community, and HIV/AIDS affects all of us. GSK has led the way in developing medicines for HIV/AIDS patients, and we are deeply committed to finding new and more effective ways of treating the disease, with the twin goals of a cure and a vaccine always in view.

Did you know?

• Every single day, 13,000 people worldwide are infected with HIV
• In less than ten years, there has been a 70% decrease in the HIV/AIDS death rate

Infections can raise other issues for AIDS patients

Some of our medications treat infections that can affect the AIDS patient significantly—for example, pneumonia and hepatitis can be especially serious, and even a herpes outbreak can lead to serious consequences. Only your physician can recommend appropriate medications for you.