Eighty-two new medicines and vaccines are in development to treat HIV/AIDS and related conditions, according to a survey conducted by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).

“I am greatly encouraged by the many medicines in development to treat HIV/AIDS. PhRMA member companies are leading the search for vaccines and cures for this terrible disease,” said PhRMA president and CEO Billy Tauzin.

PhRMA’s survey reveals that of the 82 new medicines in development, researchers are studying 18 new vaccines and 36 antivirals. These drugs are either in human clinical trials or are awaiting approval from the Food and Drug Administration. One of the vaccines is designed to boost the body’s overall immune response to fight HIV; another vaccine candidate forms a protective covering on the surface of the cell, blocking the HIV virus from entering, informs a PhRMA release.

A vaccine that combines DNA from the AIDS virus with a protein that boosts the immune response in a disabled cold virus is also being developed. The vaccine is designed to limit the damage the virus causes rather than prevent infection. A gene therapy that uses two novel technologies to boost immune responsiveness against HIV is being researched. One technology inserts a new type of genetic material into blood cells to inhibit the growth of the virus. The second integrates new genes into target cells and transfers those cells to the patient.

“With HIV/AIDS medicines, a disease that was once a virtual death sentence can now be controlled and treated as if it were a chronic disease. The new medicines our scientists are working on right now bring hope for even better results in the future,” added Tauzin.

Recent reports show AIDS has killed more than 20 million people and infected an estimated 40 million people worldwide. As many as 1.1 million US residents are estimated to have HIV infection.