If you've started doing some research into Viagra® and the medication options for erectile dysfunction (ED) available today, you probably already know that there's quite a bit to unpack.
How to know which ED med to take can be a challenge. We're here to help.
Viagra® is the brand name for Pfizer's hugely popular and effective erectile dysfunction medication sildenafil, first approved for use in the U.S. in 1998. Even 20 years on, it's still the most popular ED medication on the market.
But Viagra® is no longer the only show in town. Not only are there now products like Cialis®, other drug manufacturers have stepped in during the last few years to start selling their own versions of Viagra® – just under a different, generic name.
Understanding Generic Drugs
Viagra® is the brand name for sildenafil citrate (or just sildenafil). Sildenafil is its generic or chemical name. Both are approved for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
In 2017 Viagra® lost patent protection such that other drug companies could start to manufacture and sell sildenafil themselves. This is the normal cycle in the pharmaceutical industry: new drugs are protected by patents and sometime government regulations that give them the exclusive right to sell their product in the market. After some time, usually 10-12 years, those patents are deemed invalid and other drug manufacturers are able to start making and selling the same thing. Of course, these "generic drugmakers" cannot use the original brand name and must sell them under their chemical/generic name only.
Generic drugs are usually available at just 20-30% of the name-brand product price, partly because these new companies don't have to spend any money on marketing and they can prove their version works simply by comparing it to the original rather than running large and expensive clinical trials. Consumers know the product, and pharmacists are often allowed to exchange a prescription for a branded product for the same thing available generically in order to save the consumer money. These generic medications are "bioequivalent" to the original, meaning they act the same way in the body, but may have a slightly different recipe, color, shape and size.
To confuse things further, many drugmakers also create Authorized Generics. These are medications made with the exact same formula as the original and often in the exact same pill or tablet shape, size, and color. Pfizer launched an authorized generic version of Viagra® (sildenafil) about a year before other generic versions became available, but also at the same time that Teva Pharmaceuticals became the first and only other generic sildenafil on the market. This strategy allowed them to offer a slightly cheaper version to satisfy customers, but with the same appeal of the original "little blue pill," as Viagra® is known. Some patients prefer and trust the brand identification of an authorized generic.
For Viagra® (sildenafil), consumers have some options these days.
Viagra® vs generic Viagra® vs sildenafil
So is Viagra® the same as sildenafil? It sure is, but you still have some choices to make.
You can still buy branded Viagra® (sildenafil). 💸
You can buy an authorized generic Viagra (sildenafil)💰
You can buy generic sildenafil. 👌
These three options are all bioequivalent and act the same way in the body. The pills may look different, however, and come in different doses.
Viagra® is approved in 25mg, 50mg, and 100mg tablets. Most men start with the 50mg dose and may move up or down depending on their needs. The authorized generic Viagra® is available in the same doses. Sildenafil is available in these AND a 20mg dose. Why 20mg sildenafil? Pfizer also developed sildenafil for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and it is approved as Revatio®. It's still the same active ingredient, just in a different dose.
With generic sildenafil of 20mg, 5 of this tablet may work the same way as a single 100mg Viagra® tablet.
How much is generic Viagra®?
The original Viagra® cost over $60 per dose, and the first authorized generic was about half of that.
Today, we're proud that generic Viagra® and sildenafil are available from Rex MD for as low as $10/dose, but prices from other pharmacies and doctors can vary.
You can get started with your own order from Rex MD by clicking here.
