The US government was expected to announce yesterday it had reached a deal with Bayer over the supply of Cipro, which would involve the German group reducing the price of its anthrax treatment. The agreement could help defuse the controversy over the antibiotic which has seen the US government threatening to override Bayer's patent if it did not agree to a substantial price cut, opening a new chapter in the debate about patent protection for important medicines...Campaigners have accused the US and Canadian governments of double standards over Cipro, given their previous defence of patents on Aids drugs in developing countries.