Andrews Grad Dedicates Life to Curing HIV

Much of Brian Johns’ career has been all about the molecule. The GlaxoSmithKline chemist has spent his life in the lab creating one molecule after another, each time hoping he’s found the basis for a new and important drug.

One of those molecules did just that a few years ago, leading to the development of a powerful drug that is now widely used alongside antiretrovirals to suppress the symptoms of HIV, which can lead to AIDS.

But in close to two decades focused solely on HIV, Johns’ viewpoint has broadened to include the 36 million people worldwide who suffer from this condition, many of them in developing countries. An estimated 70 percent of people suffering from HIV worldwide don’t adequately treat the virus.

“On a daily basis I think about these patients and what they really need,” Johns says. “I’m always trying to make sure what we do is different from what everyone else is doing so we can provide more value to the patient. There’s no other reason for doing this.”

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