Viagra® is for erectile dysfunction (ED) as Trojan® is for practicing safe sex.
Both are undoubtedly household names when it comes to what they do while sharing the fact that both are just one of the myriad of options available.
But while going for the branded version of something when you want to stay protected won’t cost you more than a few dollars or cents, branded sildenafil (Viagra®) can set you back quite a pretty penny. That could be as much as $60 more than generic sildenafil will cost you – while being biochemically equivalent to the branded item.
Considering alternatives? Weighing out the pros and cons? Here’s what you need to know.
Is Viagra® identical to generic sildenafil?
Viagra® and generic sildenafil come in quite different names, so it’s easy to conflate them both for being entirely different products. However, they are identical in the following aspects:
- The active ingredient (sildenafil citrate)
- Variety of dosages
- How effective they are in treating ED
- The length of time it takes for them to kick in
- The duration of their effects
- Safety
- Potential side effects
- Package sizes
- Restrictions and contraindications with your medication
Getting ED medication has never been easier
Connect with a US-licensed healthcare provider for a FREE evaluation!
Free Express
Shipping
Discreet
Shipping
No Waiting
Rooms
Why does Viagra® have different names?
It’s extremely common for pharmaceutical products to have more than one name – their generic name, the drug’s active ingredient, and one or several brand names for marketing purposes.
Case in point, Viagra® is one of the brand names for a medication containing sildenafil, the active ingredient, while sildenafil is the generic name of the active ingredient in Viagra®. Simply put, Viagra® is a brand name for generic sildenafil.
Why do pharmaceutical companies use brands for medicines?
Each time a new drug is discovered, the pharmaceutical company that discovers it slaps a patent on it so that other pharmaceutical firms can’t market or distribute it for a particular time frame.
This allows said pharmaceutical companies to control the pricing, as they are the only company selling the product. That was the case for Viagra® since Pfizer owned its patent until it expired in 2020. It allowed other pharmaceutical companies to create FDA-approved bioequivalent generic sildenafil at doses for ED.
What are the differences between Viagra® and generic sildenafil?
While we’ve established that they are chemically identical in form and function, differences still exist between the two medicines.
Viagra and sildenafil are different in terms of:
- Price (Viagra® can cost around $60-80 more than its generic counterpart)
- Manufacturers (Pfizer manufactures Viagra®, while other pharmaceutical companies market generic sildenafil)
- More medical literature and research is focused on Viagra® since it has been around longer than generic sildenafil, but it doesn’t mean it’s any more effective or safer than sildenafil is.
Differences in other inactive ingredients
Branded and unbranded pharmaceuticals contain minute differences in the other ingredients used to produce the medicine. That’s why some medicines that work the same way might come in different shapes and sizes, but the differences are seldom of any consequence. Generic medicines are mandated to be bioequivalent with their branded counterparts by the FDA, so you can just as much switch one for the other and be assured of their quality.
Viagra® vs. sildenafil: which one should I choose?
Here are some things you might consider when choosing Viagra® or sildenafil.
- Do brands matter to you? Oftentimes, the choice between branded and generic sildenafil all boils down to personal preferences, and the notion of safety one might have with branded medicines. However, the latter is ultimately marketing because both drugs are identical.
- How much are you willing to pay? The single biggest difference between Viagra® and generic sildenafil is the price. Viagra® is significantly more expensive. Generic sildenafil is readily accessible and way more affordable.
Other than that, Viagra® and generic sildenafil are biochemically alike in almost every other way.
What are the differences between branded and generic medicines?
- No medical differences. Strictly from a medical standpoint, branded and generic medicines are the same. They both contain the exact same active ingredient and work exactly in the same way.
- Nomenclature. Branded medicines are given brand names by their manufacturers for marketing purposes. Generic medicines are typically named after the active ingredients of the branded drug.
- Cost. Branded medicines usually cost more than their generic counterparts because of their perceived longevity and popularity. However, both are just as effective and just as safe to use, which is why more people opt to buy the more affordable option of buying generic medicines rather than branded ones to save money without skimping on the quality.
Getting ED medication has never been easier
Connect with a US-licensed healthcare provider for a FREE evaluation!
Free Express
Shipping
Discreet
Shipping
No Waiting
Rooms
What other branded and generic medicines are used to treat ED?
Apart from sildenafil, tadalafil (Cialis®) and vardenafil (Levitra®) are among the other generic medicines available for treating ED.
Much like the relationship between sildenafil and Viagra®, tadalafil and Cialis® have a similar relationship. Cialis® (branded tadalafil) and generic tadalafil (its generic version) possess the same active ingredient and work exactly the same manner.
The verdict: is Viagra® preferable to generic sildenafil?
Regardless of the marketing, Viagra® and sildenafil are medically identical in form and function. No less than the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandates the generic versions of medicines to have the same levels of the active ingredients in the body as their branded counterpart.
Similarly, before generic medicines are licensed for sale in Europe, manufacturers must demonstrate their bioequivalence to the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
Sildenafil is the active ingredient found in both Viagra® and unbranded sildenafil tablets. They work exactly the same, are equally effective, and work as long as the other as far as duration is concerned.
The only difference is the branding, marketing, and pricing – with Viagra® being much, much more expensive than its generic version.
