Tuesday 18 October 2011

What to Expect When Generic Viagra Hits the Market


What to Expect When Generic Viagra Hits the MarketSildenafil citrate, known as “generic Viagra,” has been available on the global market for almost as long as brand-name Viagra has been in existence.  However, a lot of patients don’t really understand what the difference between a generic and the brand-name drug are.  A generic drug is a drug which is FDA-proven to be the equivalent of the brand-name version.  A generic drug must get FDA approval to be marketed, just like the brand version had to get.  As of now, there is no generic Viagra available – but that is about to change.
The patent on Viagra is about to expire in 2012.  When this happens, you can be sure that tens of manufacturers are going to rush to the FDA to get approval for their generic version of the leading ED treatment.  There are already hundreds of places that you can buy “generic” Viagra online, especially from foreign pharmacies.  Even though many of these generic versions of Viagra are completely regulated by strict health agencies in their respective countries, they do not have the approval to be sold in the US.  To be sold in the US, first the Viagra patent must expire and then the companies must prove their version of Viagra to be the generic equivalent.
Brand-name Viagra is currently really expensive (about $10 or more per pill).  When you see how low the generic Viagra costs at foreign pharmacies (often less than $1 per pill), it can become infuriating.  While the FDA in the US has its hands in just about every aspect of drug manufacture and distribution, it has absolutely no control over the prices that pharmaceutical companies set for medicines.  For this, the FDA leaves the free market.  However, so long as the patent on prescription drugs last, the pharmaceuticals companies have absolutely no legal US-based competition.
On the very same day that the Viagra patent expires, we can expect generic Viagra applications to hit the FDA desks.  The pharmaceutical company Pfizer has already made billions on Viagra sales and other companies will want to cash in on this.  Since all the research and marketing aspects of Viagra have already been done, the generic Viagra manufacturers have low overhead costs and can afford to sell Viagra at prices less than 90% of the brand-name version.
If you don’t want to wait for the FDA-approved Viagra generics to hit the market, you can order your medicines online.  There is always a bit of a risk when ordering generic drugs online though.  What to Expect When Generic Viagra Hits the MarketIt is crucial that the medicines are coming from countries with strong drug regulation agencies.  Try to find online pharmacies which dispense their drugs from any of these countries: Barbados, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Israel, EU, Mexico, India, Singapore, or Curacao.   Even with the high costs of shipping, you can still end up saving huge amounts buy buying generic Viagra.

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