Viagra is a brand name of a medication that is widely well known, and almost infamous, for its use as an erectile dysfunction medication.
But, less well known, is its active ingredient (and name of its generic versions), Sildenafil.
When most people think of “generic forms” of various items like paper towels or cereals, there may be a sense of lower quality, or compromising over price. And, for some items, that may be true, and the old adage “you get what you pay for” may hold up.
However, when it comes to medications, this same logic does not hold up. We can explain why.
Below, we will cover just what generic Viagra is, as well as any differences or similarities you should know about Sildenafil vs Viagra so that you can be well informed about your prescriptions.
Sildenafil is the name of the active ingredient inside of Viagra. And, it is also now the name used for its generic versions which are on the market. When a medication “goes generic” it almost always will just go along with being referred to as the active ingredient name.
Generic Viagra just means that you are still getting the same active ingredient, Sildenafil, in your medication, it just doesn’t have the original branding of “Viagra”.
For medications, the first company to release a specific active ingredient for a particular indication gets the rights to a brand name and a patent which block the “generic form” from releasing for a set amount of time to allow the original company to help recoup costs on its development.
For Viagra, it was patented by Pfizer in 1998, and the patent was held out until April of 2020. However, Pfizer struck a deal with Teva, allowing them to sell a generic form starting in 2017, and Pfizer decided to launch their own generic Sildenafil at that time as well. So, while the generic form has been available for a little while now in the U.S., after 2020, more companies were able to get on to the generic Viagra (Sildenafil) train.
Before a generic version of a medication is approved, it must prove bioequivalence. This means that they must pass a rigorous verification process proving it contains the same active ingredient, and produces the same effect in the human body. Basically, if you were to take a brand medication vs its generic counterpart, you should notice no difference at all between how it works for you.
Since Sildenafil and Viagra contain the same active ingredient and are made to function the same way in the body, the similarities are vast.
Sildenafil and Viagra should have the same effects in the body, be available in the same strengths, and have the same potential side effects.
The differences between Sildenafil and Viagra are fewer, but one may be very important to most users -- the cost.
The branded medication, Viagra, is considerably more expensive than its generic counterpart. A brand name Viagra tablet may be upwards of $50 per tablet, while a Sildenafil tablet may be available for between $2-$10 dollar per tablet, depending on your exact source. Clearly, this is a large difference between the cost of these medications, and perhaps it is this huge differential that makes consumers suspect there are functional differences at play. However, when you get down to the active ingredients and how the medication works -- there should be zero difference.
Another difference (although much less important) that you may notice is the color, size, or shape of the tablets. The branded Viagra tablets are almost iconic, and are small, blue, and diamond-shaped. “The little blue pill” became part of the branding and identity of Viagra for this reason. But, the generic Sildenafil tablets may be blue, white, smaller, larger, round, or oblong. The appearance of the tablets should have no effect on how it works for you.
The branded Viagra tablets should work no differently than the generic Sildenafil tablets for ED.
You will likely notice a difference in the look of the tablets, or significant cost savings when purchasing the generic Sildenafil tablets.
If you want to treat your erectile dysfunction with the active ingredient Sildenafil, the wise choice is to use the generic form and save a lot of money.
Here at Strut Health, we aim to destigmatize getting medical treatment for potentially delicate situations, like erectile dysfunction.
We have built a safe, secure, and discreet telemedicine platform that pairs you with a U.S. licensed doctor. If you are interested in seeing if Sildenafil, or other medications in the same class like Tadalafil, are a good fit for your erectile dysfunction symptoms, you can have a free online telemedicine questionnaire-based consultation in about 10 minutes.
If you are a good candidate for treatment, your medication can be shipped to your front door with our fast and free shipping.
If you have any questions during your treatment, our staff and doctors are available for free unlimited follow-ups.
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