Generic Viagra and Pfizer Viagra
Before we can understand
the differences between real and generic Viagra, we
need to clearly understand if there any are the differences
between real drugs and generic drugs in general. The
first thing that we need to be aware of is the fact
that when a pharmaceutical company invents or manufactures
a new drug, the company usually files for a patent
for the drug, which allows the company to produce
the said medication exclusively for a number of years.
It is only after this time that other drug companies
can then manufacture and market the same drug. These
drugs that are made by the other companies are referred
to as generic drugs.
In actuality, there is no difference between a real
or generic drug. The reason for this is because generic
drugs are mean to be the exact bioequivalent of a
brand drug; there is no difference in its dosage,
quality, strength or performance. Even if they do
not look alike, generic drugs have the same active
ingredients as brand drugs and work in the exact same
way. The only major disparity between a brand drug
and a generic drug is its price difference i.e. generic
drugs are much cheaper than brand drugs. The reason
for this is because after a drug patent expires, other
drug manufacturers are given permission to produce
and sell the same drug at reduced rates so as to increase
competition.
Many people often have the misconception that generic
drugs are inferior to brand drugs; however this is
not the case. All pharmaceutical companies that are
regulated by the FDA go through the same rigorous
testing and health standards; therefore it is not
possible for a generic drug to be substandard or second
rate. People also believe that since brand drugs and
generic drugs have different names, they are different.
This is not true. A brand drug is simply the original
name given to the drug, while a generic drug is usually
known by its active chemical ingredient. Always remember
that generic drugs are the exact therapeutic equivalent
of a brand drug, this means that a generic drug must
have the exact same chemical components and effects
on the body as the brand or real drug does.
Difference Between Generic Viagra & Real
Viagra
From the above mentioned we can see that there should
be no real difference between generic Viagra and real
Viagra except when it comes to the matter of costing.
However it is important to note here that generic
Viagra is considered illegal by the FDA as the US
patent for the drug has yet to expire.
With this said one can still find many sites that
sell generic Viagra, so how is this possible? Well
the answer to this is that the generic Viagra is produced
in countries like India that do not follow FDA regulations.
While the drug companies that manufacture Viagra may
do so following proper health standards, they are
still not regulated by any governmental agency making
their quality some what dubious.
On an interesting note, early this year in 2005 Pfizer
decided to take legal action against websites that
were selling generic Viagra, as it is illegal.
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