Researchers working at the Vanderbilt School of Medecine in Nashville may have found a substance which kills the HIV virus. The chemical called CSA-54 mimicks the functioning of a healthy immune system. It works by attacking the membrane of the HIV virus, preventing it from infecting it’s target cells, the body’s own Helper T immune cells.

The scientists are hesitant to call their new drug a cure, as much peer review still needs to be done. If all the testing goes well, the drug could be available for prescription in 3 to 7 years.

There are 40.3 million people in the world with AIDS.