Currently, there are three main lines of therapy for erectile dysfunction. The first line, which is also the main one, is effective in about 80% of cases in the absence of serious organic lesions of the genital organs. Medicines that fall into this category are phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors, most notably Viagra. The second line is represented by infectious agents, and not for intramuscular injections, but for injections into the cavernous body of the penis. These drugs are not very popular among patients, since not everyone can use them on their own. It is traumatic, unpleasant, painful, difficult and can lead to great psychological discomfort. Finally, the third line of treatment is a major surgical intervention, up to a penile prosthesis. The use of surgical interventions is minimal. They are mainly used for various injuries and deformities of the penis. The most popular, of course, is the tactic of treating potency problems with oral medications.

Few people remember that the history of Viagra didn’t even begin in 1998, when this medicine entered the pharmaceutical market, but in 1989, and in the UK. Viagra was created as a remedy for cardiovascular diseases, in particular, high blood pressure, pulmonary arterial hypertension and the consequences of coronary heart disease. The appearance of an unexpected side effect in the form of improved erection made it possible to start developing a drug to normalize disorders in the male genital area. As a result, in 1998, the famous blue pills appeared – Viagra produced by the American company Pfizer.

Even today, at the beginning of 2023, Sildenafil is prescribed in almost half of the cases of erectile dysfunction, which exceeds the rates of other PDE-5 inhibitors, namely Tadalafil and Vardenafil combined.

In 2013-2014, the patent protection for original Viagra expired. Since then, generics of Viagra have been produced in various forms: both in traditional tablets and in the form of capsules, lozenges, soft tablets. There are even versions of this medicine in granules and in the form of a spray, which must be sprayed under the tongue. Among the manufacturers are India, Canada, the USA, Slovenia, Turkey, Hungary, Israel, Belarus and even Iceland. In terms of pharmacological qualities and effectiveness, generics are not inferior to the original medicine, besides, they are distinguished by a much lower price. Many patients prefer them due to their ease of use, many are psychologically easier to take gel, spray or absorbable tablets than traditional pills. In addition, with such innovative forms of release, the effect of the drug does not depend so much on food intake. For example, the gel begins to act equally quickly both on an empty stomach and after eating. Agree, it is much more convenient to wait 10-15 minutes than 45 minutes or an hour before proceeding directly to sexual activity.