The 'generic' version of this popular drug could be dangerous
But scam ads for Viagra, which is prescribed for erectile dysfunction, aren't the only thing that you should steer clear of. Any company that claims it can sell you a cheaper, generic version of Viagra is lying, a recent post in the New York Times' Well blog points out.
Why? Because a true generic version of the drug hasn't been made available yet. The earliest you can likely expect one is 2017.
That means that for now, "any pharmacy that's offering generic Viagra is probably using counterfeit product that's not approved," Carmen Catizone, the executive director of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, a professional organization unaffiliated with drug makers, told the Times.
It's important to keep in mind, though, that true generic versions of drugs save lives.
In general, generics are a wonderful thing - they're a lower-cost alternative to expensive, brand-name versions of drugs. In 2010 alone, generics saved the US healthcare system roughly $158 billion, or about $3 billion each week, according to the US Food and Drug Administration. These drugs aren't just saving money: Without them, millions of people around the globe would not be able to afford the medications that they need to survive life-threatening conditions like diabetes.
In the US, generics can exist for several reasons. First, companies that produce generics don't have to pay for advertising; they're also not forced to repeat expensive clinical trials of new drugs. Plus, a handful of companies will typically all get approved to make a generic at once, which ideally creates competition in the marketplace and can sometimes result in even lower prices for those drugs.
The reason there's no generic Viagra yet is because Pfizer, the company that makes it, holds two patents for the drug: the first for Viagra's composition (which expired in 2012), and the second for what's called a "method of treatment," (i.e. how the drug is used). That one doesn't expire until 2020. But the story doesn't end there.
The drug company Teva Pharmaceuticals USA plans to sell a generic version of Viagra in the US in 2017. How? By entering into an agreement with Pfizer that allows it to enter the market early in exchange for paying patent royalties to Pfizer through 2020.