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Introduction
In this article, we will try to compare generic Cialis and branded Cialis, and highlight the advantages and disadvantages of both types of drugs, the main active ingredient of which is Tadalafil. In this regard, first of all, we consider it necessary to clarify the difference between branded Cialis and its generic.
The branded drug is made by the company that invented it, while the numerous generic Cialis are made by other companies, both American and foreign. Generics and branded drugs have in common that they are bioequivalent to each other. This means that they are equally safe, effective and have the same effect on the male body. They not only contain the same main active ingredient (Tadalafil), but they also contain it in identical amounts. Generic drugs may differ from their branded prototype in the excipients chosen by the manufacturer to give the tablets a particular color and density, but these differences don't have any tangible impact on the consumer.
The question arises, why do generics exist at all? The fact is that when an inventing company creates a new drug, it spends a lot of money on its development, research, clinical trials, registration procedures and many other stages that are not obvious to the end consumer, which are necessary to prove the effectiveness and safety of the drug, as well as compliance with national and international standards. When a drug receives FDA approval for use in the treatment of a patient, the inventing company is guaranteed the exclusivity of its right to manufacture that drug in the form of patent protection. As a rule, the term of patent protection is 15 or 20 years, and during this period only the company that holds the patent can sell the medicine that it has created.
When patent protection expires, any other companies other than the manufacturing company are entitled to manufacture drugs with the same composition. Generic drug manufacturers use the research and development data that belongs to the manufacturer to create their versions based on the brand drug. They are freed from having to spend big money on testing their products. In addition, the main advertising campaign has already been done for them by the manufacturer of the branded drug, so the cost of generics for the end user is always significantly lower than the cost of the original drug.
Branded Cialis was registered and approved by the FDA in 2003. Generics of Cialis appeared on the pharmaceutical market in 2018, when the patent belonging to Eli Lilly expired.
The main aspect that attracts consumers to Cialis generics is their significantly lower price compared to the original drug. It would seem that if the composition of the drugs is the same, then how can the same medicine cost $70 for one pill and $7 or even $2 for the same pill from another manufacturer? It seems that such a difference can only be due to important differences in the composition of the drug, but such a prejudice is far from the truth. In fact, the lion's share of the cost of any branded drug is not the cost of its ingredients, but the cost of the effort that the company spent on creating it. This list includes the work of scientists and laboratory assistants, experiments (both successful and unsuccessful), testing a new drug on animals, and then on humans, reporting to licensing authorities, publications in medical and scientific journals, and more. All these costs are borne by the company, which is the holder of the patent for the drug. In addition, after registration, in order for it to be in demand among patients, the manufacturing company allocates significant amounts for advertising. Advertising costs can reach several billion dollars. In fact, they are limited only by the budget that is allocated to promote the new drug.
In light of the above, it is not surprising that a very small proportion of men in the total number of those who need to take drugs to increase potency can afford to buy branded Cialis. The question arises, and do they really need a branded medicine, if generics are many times cheaper and no worse than the original?
Of course, the prices of generics vary, and today the global pharmaceutical market is represented by generics from a wide variety of price categories. The most affordable and at the same time high-quality generics of Cialis are the Indian versions of this drug. They are very popular with US residents, as Indian pharmaceuticals have been proving their high level for several decades. There are rarely any complaints about the quality of Indian generics of Cialis. In second place in popularity in the United States are Cialis generics from Canada. They are somewhat more expensive, with an average price of $3-4 for a 20mg tablet. However, the proximity of Canada to the United States, which makes for fast and inexpensive delivery, partially offsets the difference in the cost of Indian and Canadian Cialis generics.
Generics from Europe occupy the third position in terms of price, although there are differences among them. For example, Cialis from Slovakia, Hungary or Austria is cheaper than from the UK, Germany or Norway. The last line as the most expensive option is occupied by Israeli generics of Cialis. They are usually preferred by middle-class conservative older men who are suspicious of all generic Tadalafil except those made in the US or in Israel as a country whose pharmaceutical companies work closely with the US. Teva, the largest Israeli drug manufacturer, is a partner of Eli Lilly, and the first generic Cialis that became available in the US was Israeli.
Efficacy and Side Effects
In this section, we compare the difference in efficacy and side effects between Generic Cialis and the brand name drug. These two questions are the most important of those that concern all consumers who are faced with the need to take Tadalafil.
Cialis generics, like the original medicine, affect the male body through the active substance Tadalafil, which belongs to the category of PDE-5 inhibitors. Regardless of the manufacturer, Tadalafil in identical dosages affects the male body in an identical way, causing relaxation of the walls of blood vessels in the blood bodies of the penis and increasing blood flow to them. Thus, the effectiveness of Cialis generics is similar to the effectiveness of a branded drug, provided that the same dosages are compared.
Of course, the effectiveness of generics can be influenced by such factors as the accuracy of the recipe (meaning the strictness of compliance with the actual amount of the active substance in the tablet declared), as well as the degree of purification of the active substance, since the excessive presence of impurities can distort the effect.
As for the side effects, it is logical that since the active ingredient of Cialis generics and branded medicines are identical, the side effects they cause are identical. Common side effects include facial flushing, indigestion, nausea, diarrhea, headache, muscle pain (especially in the back muscles), and nasal congestion. Less common side effects include blurred vision, increased photosensitivity, impaired color perception, ringing or noise in the ears, and dizziness. However, despite the common list of side effects for branded Cialis and its generics, it should be noted that modern generics often show a trend towards fewer side effects compared to the original drug. This is especially true for Indian generics. This phenomenon is due to the fact that the Indian manufacturers of Cialis generics make every effort to ensure that the drug is as easily tolerated by the body as possible, primarily through a very thorough purification of the active substance. As a result, such unpleasant phenomena as severe weakness, nosebleeds, fainting, despite the fact that they are listed in all guidelines for the use of the drug, almost never occur in practice.
