CHARLESTON – West Virginia Rx is pleased to announce that Sanofi-aventis, one of the world’s premiere drug manufacturers, has joined with West Virginia Rx as its newest pharmaceutical partner in providing free prescription medications to West Virginians without prescription drug coverage.

“We welcome Sanofi-Aventis medications as an important addition to our growing formulary,” Brenda Dane, executive director of West Virginia Rx, said. “Its partnership with West Virginia Rx to donate its brand medications in bulk will have a huge effect across the state.”

West Virginia Rx was created in 2008 by Gov. Joe Manchin to provide help for more than 225,000 West Virginians who are without prescription drug coverage and are unable to afford to pay for costly medication. The generous support of donated drugs from nine of the largest pharmaceutical manufacturers allows the West Virginia Rx program to help those West Virginia residents get prescription medications for free.

“We’re the first charitable pharmacy in a free clinic to be embraced by Sanofi-Aventis,” Dane said. “Adding the company’s medications to the West Virginia Rx formulary will increase the strength and effectiveness of our program. We’ll be able to help more West Virginians than ever with immediate access to more drugs for the management of significant chronic disease.”

To qualify for West Virginia Rx, a person must: be a West Virginia resident; have a yearly income that is 200 percent or less of the Federal Poverty Level (e.g., $21,660 for one person; $44,100 for a family of four); have no prescription drug coverage or government assistance; and not be a patient at a free clinic or primary care center. There is an annual $30 enrollment fee.

Earlier this week, West Virginia Rx and the Governor’s Pharmaceutical Advocate Office celebrated the first year of West Virginia Rx’s operation with a luncheon at the Governor’s Mansion to thank supporters.

“We were able to show our deep appreciation for those supporters who have been involved with West Virginia Rx,” Dane said. “We were honored that representatives from Heinz Family Philanthropies, the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, pharmaceutical manufacturing companies, and many more could take time out of their busy schedules to be there.”

West Virginia Rx is made possible by the support of donated medications from several pharmaceutical manufacturers, including: Abbott Laboratories, Inc.; Alcon Laboratories, Inc.; Astra-Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, LP; Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies; King Pharmaceuticals; Eli Lilly & Company; Merck & Company, Inc.; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation; and Sanofi-aventis.

Funding for West Virginia Rx since the beginning has come from: the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, Heinz Family Philanthropies, the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation, the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office, the Rite Aid Foundation, Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC, Chesapeake Energy Corporation and CVS Foundation.

For more information about West Virginia Rx, call toll-free, 1-877-388-WVRX (9879), or visit the Web site at www.wvrx.org.