“Increasingly, toxicity of ART is becoming an important issue in the management of patients with HIV. The first line ART treatment has improved the CD4 count (used to assess a person’s immune system) and has decreased the incidence of opportunistic infection. But with continued use, the complications of treatment are being seen,” said Dr Alaka Deshpande, in-charge of the ART centre at the J J Hospital, the largest in the country. “Despite toxicity, permanent and proper adherence to the therapy is needed to maximise its long-term benefits,” Dr Deshpande added.

According to doctors, approximately 10 per cent of patients on the first line of ART treatment are developing toxicity to drugs. Although adverse reactions to the therapy are common and profoundly affect its clinical efficacy, many such reactions are poorly studied, analysed and under-reported, say doctors.