- Viagra
- Sildenafil Citrate (TP)
- Sildenafil Citrate TEVA
- Tadalafil TEVA
- Tadalafil ACCORD
- Tadalafil DAILY
- Vardenafil TEVA
- Vardenafil ZYDUS
- Sildenafil Citrate (GS)
- Cialis
FDA Approves 1st Generic Viagra, Makes ‘Erectile’ Med Affordable
2016-03-11
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The FDA awarded exclusive rights to manufacture and sell the first generic version of Viagra to an Israeli pharmaceutical firm, Teva, CBS News reports. Viagra, its generic name sildenafil citrate, is patented to pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.
Pfizer’s patent for Viagra, which gives exclusive rights to manufacture and distribute the medicine globally, is set to expire in 2020.
Teva has been known to produce generic versions of popular branded medicines for different diseases. The company’s medicines are mostly a fraction of a price of branded ones, according to Teva USA.
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Under the FDA approval, only Teva has exclusive rights to produce the first generic version of the impotence medicine for the first 180 days, at least for now. But at least nine other pharmaceutical firms have lined up to seek FDA’s approval to produce the generic version of Viagra as well.
Since Viagra is still patented to Pfizer, Teva has agreed not to sell the products until 2017. Teva, just like Pfizer, will produce the generic version of Viagra in three strengths: 250 mg, 50 mg, and 100 mg.
Since 2013, Pfizer for the first time has made the purchase of Viagra available online, a report from the USA today shows. The report, however, adds that prescription from a doctor is still needed. Pfizer’s Viagra costs $25 on the average in the U.S. The cost of Teva’s generic Viagra is unavailable as of this writing.
According to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, there are at least 18 million men aged 20 and above in the U.S. who suffer erectile dysfunction. The report adds that the disorder is closely linked with age, hearth disease, diabetes, and an unhealthy lifestyle.