THE CLINTON MAGIC: Former US President Bill Clinton on November 21 launched a major medical initiative to make available Anti-Retroviral Drugs to millions affected by HIV/AIDS around the world at almost one-third of the existing market costs.

He was back in Delhi, after his historic year 2000 visit that changed the course of Indo-US relations, to announce an agreement between the Clinton Foundation and four leading pharmaceutical companies -- Ranbaxy, Cipla, and Matrix from India and the South African Aspen Pharmacare Holdings.

He said the arrangement would bring down the cost of a triple drug therapy combination to about $139 from the existing market price of $500.

"The AIDS epidemic can never be curbed without affordable medicine," he said.

(L) The charismatic Clinton addressing the press during a visit at the Ranbaxy's Research and Development centre in Gurgaon, 25 km south-west of New Delhi on Friday.

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