New Delhi, Nov 22: On a visit to pharmaceutical giant Ranbaxy Research Laboratories here, former US president Bill Clinton on Friday indicated anti-AIDS medicines may become cheaper for the Indian patients. Here as a representative of his William Jefferson Clinton Foundation, Clinton told reporters he has had discussions with Indian officials on the subject and he would also be taking it up with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Clinton Foundation had signed an agreement with three generic drug manufacturers from India - Cipla, Ranbaxy and Matrix Laboratories - and one from South Africa, Aspen Pharmacare, last month that would reduce the cost of commonly used triple drug regimen for aids by about one-third to about 36-38 cents per person per day for distribution in some African and Caribbean countries.
There was high level of interest in India towards curtailing AIDS, he said.
Indian government has already formed a working group that also includes members of industry to chart out a similar strategy to reduce the drug prices in India Bureau Report