Sildenafil and Viagra do the same job: they both contain the active ingredient sildenafil citrate. The difference is that Viagra is the well-known brand-name ED drug first launched by Pfizer. Whereas generic sildenafil is the generic version and is made by a number of manufacturers.
Pfizer held the exclusive marketing license for Viagra from its inception in 1998 until the patent expired in 2013. At this point other pharmaceutical companies were permitted to produce their own version of the medication. When that happens, this version is known as the generic. More often than not, the generic takes the name of the active ingredient, in this case Sildenafil.
For the treatment of ED, both Sildenafil and Viagra are produced in 25mg, 50mg and 100mg pills. Generic Viagra pills are formulated to work in the same way as brand-name Viagra. If you compare the active ingredients for generic Sildenafil vs Viagra, you’ll find that they are the same. If production standards are kept the same across the board then both tablets should produce the same results.
This is also true of the listed efficacy levels, side effects, contraindications and interactions of either Sildenafil or Viagra. They are the same and should therefore produce the same outcome whether you opt for the brand-name or the generic.
Price: Why is Sildenafil cheaper than Viagra?
So, now you know that Viagra and Sildenafil are basically the same, but there’s probably still one big question left on your mind. Why the big price difference?
The brand-name medication, in this case Viagra, tends to be more expensive and that can be for a number of reasons.
The time and money spent on researching, developing and testing a new product is substantial. In order to recoup some of these costs, a pharmaceutical company will take out a patent on their product. The patent lasts for a set number of years. Once it expires, other companies can choose to sell the product under the generic name. This is usually at a cheaper price as they have not ploughed investment into the research and development side of things.
Pharmaceutical companies can also put a significant amount of investment into the marketing of a brand-name medication. However, this isn’t usually the case for the generic version.
Some people will prefer to stay loyal to their original brand-name medication, especially if they’ve been using it for a while, even if it is at a higher price point. Whereas others will want to take full advantage of the savings provided by the generic.
So you may remain loyal to Viagra if it’s been serving you well, or you may be swayed by the Sildenafil price because it does the same job.
Do Viagra and Sildenafil have different side effects?
On paper, Viagra and Sildenafil should not cause any different side effects because they’re essentially the same medicine.
When a manufacturer applies to produce a generic medicine, they have to demonstrate bioequivalence. If this is achieved then a license can be considered. The manufacturer of the generic doesn’t have to prove its efficacy and in most cases will inherit the clinical data and study results from the original brand-name product.
This means that if you are using the brand-name medication and decide to switch to the generic, then you are unlikely to notice any new side effects.
However, there is some evidence to suggest that using a generic medication may increase the chance of experiencing side effects. Also, anecdotally you may hear of some men preferring either the brand-name or the generic of a medicine.
Benefits of Viagra vs Sildenafil
Viagra and Sildenafil contain the same active ingredients and work in the same way. Any potential side effects are the same. So, there really isn’t much difference between the two.
However, while Viagra and Sildenafil are the same on a bioequivalent level, one big difference that we’ve already mentioned is the price. For some, this is a huge benefit.
Sildenafil can be significantly cheaper than Viagra. If price is your main motivation then trying Sildenafil is definitely worthwhile. You could end up with the same bang for much less buck.