Up Until Now, All Generic Viagra has Been Counterfeit
It has been over a decade since Viagra came out and revolutionized men's sexual health. Thanks to the "magic blue pill," millions of men were able to enjoy sex again despite health problems like prostate cancer, diabetes, or the effects of aging. But, the cost of treating ED with Viagra was not cheap. At FDA approved pharmacies, Viagra sells for about $15-$20 per tablet. It is possible to get deals on Viagra by buying in bulk but it would still cost you over $1000 a year to enjoy sex twice a week. For a lot of couples, the cost of Viagra makes sex a luxury which they cannot afford.
Not surprisingly, it doesn't cost anywhere near $15 to produce a tablet of Viagra. But, thanks to our capitalistic system, Pfizer is free to charge as much as it wants for its products. After all, Pfizer did go through all of the trouble of making, testing and developing Viagra. Luckily, the FDA puts some limits on capitalism: drug companies are only allowed to hold the exclusive patent rights on their drugs for a limited time. Pfizer's reign on Viagra is finally ending. In 2012, the company loses its patent rights on Viagra and other companies will be free to make their own versions of the popular drug.
For the millions of men who buy Viagra online, it comes as a surprise that generic Viagra is just now becoming available. Hasn't it already been available for years? You may have already bought generic Viagra from an online pharmacy, usually located in Asia or South America. What most people don't realize is that these "generic Viagra" pills are counterfeits.
Now, the word "counterfeit" is a bit confusing in the pharmaceutical world. A lot of the generic Viagra pills sold online do contain 100% real, effective and safe Sildenafil. They may not be any different than the brand-name Viagra that you pay so much for. But, it is important to note that these drugs are all manufactured without approval or regulation from the FDA or any of the agencies which work with the FDA (such as Health Canada, for example).
A true "generic" drug can only be made after the patent rights for the brand-name drug run out. Even then, a pharmaceutical company can't just release its drug because it has the same active ingredient. Rather, they must first submit their product for review by the FDA and must prove that it is 100% the same as the brand-name drug. Once it gets approved, then it will gain "generic" status and can legally be sold.
