Are Viagra and Sildenafil the same?

This is the question we get asked most frequently at Dr Andrews and it’s pretty straightforward to answer: Viagra is the original brand of Erectile Dysfunction treatment and contains the drug Sildenafil. Viagra was invented by the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer in the 90s and is the best selling treatment for Erectile Dysfunction over the last 20 years. In 2013 Pfizer lost their exclusive patent on the drug Sildenafil and this allowed other companies to produce generic (or non branded) versions- these are simply labelled as Sildenafil.

The best analogy is perhaps a simple one: Viagra is like Heinz Baked Beans and Sildenafil the supermarket own brand version. A 25mg Viagra tablet has exactly the same amount of active ingredient as 25mg of generic Sildenafil.

Viagra remains more expensive than the generic Sildenafil and this is for two main reasons. Firstly, Pfizer spent the money developing the drug and want to recoup all of the cash they spent on Research and Development. Secondly, only Pfizer make branded Viagra, unlike generic Sildenafil which is made by many manufacturers forcing the prices down through competition.

Some men prefer to use Viagra and are happy to pay for the brand. The tablet has a distinct blue colour and it’s famous diamond shape has seen it trusted by patients all over the world with excellent outcomes. Viagra brand has better quality packaging than many of it’s cheaper generic versions and should have a Pfizer hologram on the box to ensure it is an authentic product.

Generic sildenafil is becoming more and more popular, with it’s main attraction being the lower price. The cost of generic drugs does fluctuate, but typically generic Sildenafil is around 60% cheaper than the Viagra brand. There are lots of generic versions now with differing tablet colours, sizes and shapes as well as different packaging. Any UK licensed generic Sildenafil will have the proper amount of active ingredient in it, but different generics will be manufactured slightly differently.

We know that price is important whether you are buying the branded Viagra or a generic version and Dr Andrews promises to be the lowest price in The UK (and we won’t charge you a prescription fee either).