it is a proud moment for India. In a landmark decision by World Health Organisation (who), an Indian company, Cipla, has been added to the list of multinational companies as an approved supplier of aids drugs. Reacting to the decision, Y K Mamied of Cipla said, "This is the first time the who has inspected and approved a drug on the basis of its quality. It is an important recognition for the Indian pharma industry.' He added that more Indian firms could also get who recommendation provided they applied. The ten formulations of Cipla that have been approved include nevirapine, zidovudine (azt), lamivudine and ciprofloxacin. Indian patent laws give firms enough room to do clever reverse engineering to make cheap knock offs.