The GoodRx Prescription Savings Blog

As of Monday, Dec. 11, 2017, two generic versions of Viagra (sildenafil) are available in pharmacies: one by generic manufacturer Teva, and the other by the original manufacturer, Pfizer. Prices for generic sildenafil are about half what they are for the brand version.

Current prices for brand name Viagra are around $70 per pill, and prices for generic versions are expected to run between $35 and $40 per pill without a discount. Prices at GoodRx are showing even better discounts, as little as $25 per pill, depending on which pharmacy you choose. Remember to use the GoodRx free discount to get these even better prices.

Note that generic sildenafil comes in several different dosage strengths. For erectile dysfunction, prescriptions usually come in 25 mg, 50 mg, or 100 mg doses (the 20 mg dose is typically used for pulmonary hypertension). Check with your doctor to be sure which one is right for you.

Pfizer announced plans to release its own generic version days before Teva’s version arrives on the shelves (Teva has planned a generic version since 2013). This will allow Pfizer – which sold more than $1 billion of Viagra in the US in 2016 – to keep some of that cashflow coming in. Other generic versions are expected to arrive in pharmacies in the summer of 2018, which should drive prices even lower.

More than 60 million men worldwide have used Viagra since it hit the market in 1998. Those are the official numbers from Pfizer; many men are embarrassed to ask their doctors for a prescription, and the Internet has long been awash in dubious offers for the drug without a prescription.

This story has been updated to reflect current news. The original story is below.

Pfizer, the manufacturer of erectile dysfunction med Viagra, just reached a settlement with generic manufacturer Teva that will allow Teva to start selling generic Viagra (sildenafil) in December 2017—that’s more than two years earlier than the current patent expiration in April 2020.

This is great for anyone using Viagra, as the cost of generic sildenafil will be lower, but a there are a few things to keep in mind.

The Teva generic will be the only one available for two-plus years, unless there are other settlements or the patent is contested successfully. This means that there won’t be a lot of competition to drive the generic price down once it hits the market.

There is also a chance that because the indication (the reason it’s prescribed) isn’t considered essential by many insurance plans, your odds of getting the generic covered may not be all that much better than the brand.

Some better news though: The patent expiration for Cialis also falls in that 2017 – 2020 window, in May 2018, so other generic options in the same class of drugs may help lower prices as well.

You may also be aware that generic sildenafil is already available, as a generic to pulmonary arterial hypertension drug Revatio. You can check out Dr. O’s article It’s Here! Finally a Viagra You Can Afford for more info.

Overall, don’t expect major changes for a little while longer yet, but they are coming.