What can possibly happen when Viagra goes generic?

After Pfizer, Inc. serendipitously discovered that the Sildenafil Citrate it invented for the treatment of men suffering from angina pectoris and pulmonary hypertension could produce erection among men who were known to be impotent, it was decided that the drug should be marketed as a treatment for erectile dysfunction.

Sildenafil citrate was patented after a patent examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) – an agency operating under the purview of the Dept. of Commerce – had reviewed the application of Pfizer and became satisfied that the drug manufacturer’s invention met the requirement to obtain the patent.

The drug was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1998 and subsequently became available as the first oral drug for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

Come March 27, 2012, however, Pfizer, according to the Patent and Trademark Office, will lose its patent for Viagra at which point any drug manufacturer will have the right to make and sell a cheap "generic" copies of the best-selling erectile dysfunction (ED) treatment.

The expiration of Pfizer’s monopoly on the drug, Doctors and Lawyers believe, will be great news for patients, as it will lead to competition between Pfizer’s brand Viagra and the new generic copies, dramatically bringing down not only the price of Viagra tablets but also of Bayer’s Levitra and Eli Lilly’s Cialis.

Because of the prospect of increased options and cheaper prices for patients, however, there is bound to be some confusion in the ED marketplace as Pfizer will be faced with the task of defending the reputation of its original brand and pharmaceutical stores become flooded with imitation Viagra pills, most of which would probably be made in China.

Below are some of the possible events that could happen in the days leading to the launch of generic Viagra in the United States.

At present, Viagra, Levitra and Cialis are the only erectile dysfunction drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States.

As the oldest of the three, Viagra will be the first to lose its monopoly status (Cialis expires between 2017 and 2020 and Levitra expires in 2018.)

At the expiration of the patent for Viagra, the floodgates will open and consumers will possibly be inundated with advertising for cheap generic sildenafil citrate (legally, drug manufacturing companies will not be able to use the brand name "Viagra").

Up till this moment, Pfizer has increased the price of its Viagra tablets every year between 5% and 11%, to $14 per pill at the wholesale level. The price will plummet once the patent on the drug goes off.

Quick facts about Viagra
• Viagra tablets were approved for use in 1998 by the FDA and their patent will expire on March 27, 2012, at which time generic sildenafil citrate (the constituent active ingredient in Viagra) products will flood the market, lowering the prices of ED drugs.
• An option for Pfizer upon Viagra going off-patent is to “tough it out” and continue to market itself as the original ED tablet. Over 25 million men have used Viagra since its introduction, and it is possible many may not want to switch.
• Another option is for Pfizer to apply for OTC (over-the-counter) status for its Viagra tablets with the Food and Drug Administration. Pharmacist endorsement, however, would be required.
• A third option is to license the original formula of Viagra to other drug companies, while manufacturing “upgraded” copies of Viagra tablets which can continue to hold value as a patented product.
• Viagra tablets can be obtained from a number of reputable online pharmacies.