Buying Generic Levitra

Brand-name Levitra® (vardenafil HCl) is currently protected by a patent that prevents manufacturers from making a generic version of this erectile dysfunction medicine until 2018 at the earliest. However, many people are under the impression that generic Levitra can be bought online. Some Web sites even claim that they sell a generic version of the drug.
 
Before buying anything claiming to be "generic Levitra," it's important to understand that these products have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Furthermore, the medication you receive could be fake, substandard, and even dangerous. For these reasons, you should not buy any so-called generic versions until one is actually approved.
 
(For more information on this topic, click Generic Levitra. This article covers the dangers of buying unapproved medications and explains how vardenafil HCl, the active ingredient, is not the same as generic Levitra.)
 
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD