Researchers financed with EU funds have discovered a protein responsible for protecting some of our body's immune cells from the HIV. This result can be used to understand why some anti-HIV drugs are more effective than others. Additionally, the European Medicines Agency, has published guidance on prevention of HIV transmission for public consultation.

A team of researchers leaded by the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) and financed in part by a European Research Council (ERC) grant under the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), have discovered that a protein responsible for protecting some of our body's immune cells from the most common and virulent form of HIV succeeds in its quest because it starves the virus of the molecular building blocks it requires to replicate. In December 2011, another EU study published new data on how this SAMHD1 protein can fight the HIV.

According to the researchers, the findings may explain why certain anti-HIV drugs used today are more effective under some circumstances and not others. It also provides new insights on how many other viruses that afflict people operate in the body.

On the other hand, the European Medicines Agency has released a reflection paper on the use of medicines to prevent the transmission of HIV for public consultation. The paper gives recommendations on how pharmaceutical companies should study medicines for the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) of HIV. It also includes information on medicines taken by mouth and on topical medicines, such as vaginal gels, and it emphasises the fact that the use of PrEP should form part of an integrated approach to reducing an individual's risk of contracting HIV.