Is The Teva Generic Viagra (Sildenafil) The Same As The Brand?

Jose asked

Is the Teva generic the same of brand Viagra?

Answer

Yes, sildenafil (the active ingredient in Viagra), manufactured by Teva, is the FDA approved generic for brand Viagra. It launched on December 11, 2017. The announcement from Teva can be seen here. It is available in each strength that the brand is available in:

• 25 mg tablet
• 50 mg tablet
• 100 mg tablet

Being an FDA approved generic indicates that the generic is considered to be 'bio-equivalent' to the brand name drug. This means that both the rate and extent of absorption are the same for both products, and therefore they should have the same effect.

Although exact pricing isn't available, it is expected that the generic will be roughly half the price for patients paying out of pocket.  In addition, Teva has announced a savings card that is available to certain qualifying individuals which will allow them to pay as little as $0 out of pocket with a maximum benefit of up to $100 per fill, for up to 6 sildenafil tablets.

What this boils down to is this:

• If you have commercial insurance (non-government funded), you can get up to 6 pills for no charge depending on the copay your insurance charges. If your copay is over $100, the savings card will take a maximum of $100 off.
• If you pay out of pocket, the savings card will take up to $100 off your prescription.

Click Here To Go To Savings Card Site

Lastly, although sildenafil is considered interchangeable with brand Viagra, they do have slightly different inactive ingredients. Perhaps most striking is that the generic will not have the signature blue color. The ingredients of the brand and generic are listed below:

Viagra (Pfizer) Ingredients

Description: Blue, diamond-shaped

• Sildenafil
  
• Calcium Phosphate Dibasic
• Croscarmellose SodiumFD&C Blue No. 2
• Hypromellose
• Lactose
• Magnesium Stearate
• Microcrystalline Cellulose
• Titanium Dioxide
• Triacetin

Sildenafil (Teva) Ingredients

Description: White, convex, oval-shaped

• Calcium Phosphate Dibasic
• Croscarmellose Sodium
• Magnesium Stearate
• Microcrystalline Cellulose
• Polyethylene Glycol
• Polyvinyl Alcohol
• Talc
• Titanium Dioxide

Lastly, the Teva generic will not be the only FDA approved generic for Viagra on the market for long. Greenstone, another generic manufacturer (which is owned by Pfizer), will be coming out with their generic product in January or February of 2018.