U.S. men shopping for erectile dysfunction drugs in mid-2018 will find that their selection has broadened somewhat over the past 12 months and now includes the first generic options available to American men. This trend is likely to continue with additional generic competition entering the marketplace before the end of 2018.
As this is written, the market offers five brand-name ED drugs — Viagra, Levitra, Cialis, Staxyn, and Stendra. Of those five, Cialis is available in two different formulations, including one that enables men to be ready for sex whenever the need arises. Also available are a couple of generic copies of Viagra, sold as sildenafil citrate, which is the little blue pill’s active ingredient. Here, in the order of their market debut, are the ED medications now available to American men:
Viagra: Introduced in 1998, Pfizer’s iconic diamond-shaped blue pill revolutionized the treatment of ED caused by insufficient blood flow to the penis, which accounts for roughly 80 percent of all male impotence. Available in tablets of 25, 50, and 100 milligrams each, Viagra’s recommended starting dose is 50 milligrams. It should be taken 30 to 60 minutes before the planned start of sexual activity, and its effects typically last four to six hours. As previously noted, its active ingredient is sildenafil citrate. Viagra can be taken with or without food. However, the onset of action may be delayed if taken after consumption of fatty foods.
Levitra: A little more than five years after Viagra’s debut, Levitra won approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the late summer of 2003. It is available in tablets of 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 milligrams, and its recommended starting dose is 10 milligrams. It should be taken roughly 60 minutes before sexual activity, and its duration of effects ranges from four to six hours. Its active ingredient is vardenafil hydrochloride. Levitra can be taken with or without food.
Cialis: Approved by the FDA in November 2003, Cialis distinguished itself from its competitors by offering up to 36 hours of effectiveness from a single tablet. Upon its debut, Cialis was available only as an on-demand medication, and it earned the nickname of “the weekend drug” because a tablet taken late Friday night might enable erectile function until Sunday morning. With tadalafil as its active ingredient, Cialis on demand is available in tablets of 5, 10, and 20 milligrams. The recommended starting dose is 10 milligrams.
Five years after the introduction of Cialis’s on-demand formulation, lower-dose daily Cialis, available in tablets of 2.5 and 5 milligrams, won FDA approval. If taken faithfully every day, this drug promises round-the-clock erectile function. It may take five or six days for levels of the drug in the body to attain optimal erectile function.
Staxyn: As in Levitra, vardenafil hydrochloride is Staxyn’s active ingredient. However, Staxyn is orosoluble, meaning it can be popped under the tongue where it quickly dissolves and begins to go to work. It is available in 10-milligram tablets that should be taken without water. It can be taken up to an hour before sexual activity, but anecdotal reports indicate it can take effect in as little as 20 minutes. It won FDA approval in June 2010.
Stendra: The last of the brand-name ED drugs to win FDA approval, Stendra made its debut in 2012. Available in tablets of 50 and 100 milligrams, Stendra’s active ingredient is avanafil. The recommended starting dose is 100 milligrams, which can be lowered to 50 milligrams if the latter provides the desired results. Stendra takes effect in as little as 15 or 20 minutes, and its duration of action ranges from four to six hours.
Sildenafil citrate: Generic Viagra is marketed under the name of the brand-name drug’s active ingredient. It first became available in the United States on December 11, 2017. Identical in dose size and other characteristics to the brand-name drug, sildenafil citrate is sold by Teva Pharmaceuticals and Greenstone LLC. The latter is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pfizer. More generic drugmakers are expected to introduce their versions of the drug in the days to come.
Late 2018 is expected to see the introduction of generic versions of both Levitra and Cialis. The growing availability of less expensive generic alternatives may help to push prices of the brand-name drugs down somewhat.
If you’d like to order Viagra or any of these other drugs from the convenience of your home, you owe it to yourself to check out all that online facilitator eDrugstore.com has to offer. Click here to visit its Erectile Dysfunction page.
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