Blue Sildenafil vs Brand Name Viagra: Key Differences

The most famous blue pill isn't found on the big screen, but rather at local pharmacies. Pfizer's Viagra (sildenafil citrate), first approved in 1998 for erectile dysfunction, quickly achieved blockbuster status and held onto it through 2017. For many pharma marketers, it's a preeminent example of color building a brand. AstraZeneca's stomach medications Nexium (esomeprazole magnesium) and Prilosec (omeprazole magnesium) are also widely recognizable by their purple shades. Despite how lucrative these drugs became, some marketers have found that color doesn't come up in many client conversations, but some are trying to change that. Jeanne Ryan, principal at life sciences advertising firm ZS, said this has been especially true when the point-person for a new drug isn't in a commercialization role. In one instance, Ryan noted a client with a clinical asset who was looking into color options. The agency researched patient and pharmacist preferences, potential storage and handling issues, and regulatory and manufacturing requirements before offering a color recommendation, but the client ended up keeping to white. "One of the stated reasons why they stuck with white was that it wasn't their job to commercialize this drug, it wasn't their job to decide how to position it," she told BioPharma Dive. "They literally said they didn't want to take away any of the degrees of freedom from the ultimate brand team that would be responsible for those things." For drugmakers who do pursue color, the decision-making process is far more complicated than throwing a dart at a color wheel — as Ryan's anecdote suggests. Competition alone can greatly shape the selection. "If you have a big competitor in your category that is the orange brand, you're not going to go out and have orange be your primary color," Dave Traini, creative director at healthcare advertising agency Sentrix Health, said in an interview with BioPharma Dive. "So you do want to be mindful of what else has already been taken in that therapeutic category." With Viagra, Pfizer's adoption of blue pushed other erectile dysfunction brands to use a different color, such as the orange branding seen with Eli Lilly's Cialis (tadalafil). Lilly declined request for comment about Cialis branding. "Blue also connotes sort of a feeling of calm," Ryan said. "Then their competitor that came out afterwards took advantage of that and said: we don't want to be calm, we're about virility and so we want to be the anti-blue pill." More recently, three similar migraine prevention treatments came to market within the span of a few months.

What is "Low T"?

The most famous blue pill isn't found on the big screen, but rather at local pharmacies. Pfizer's Viagra (sildenafil citrate), first approved in 1998 for erectile dysfunction, quickly achieved blockbuster status and held onto it through 2017. For many pharma marketers, it's a preeminent example of color building a brand. AstraZeneca's stomach medications Nexium (esomeprazole magnesium) and Prilosec (omeprazole magnesium) are also widely recognizable by their purple shades. Despite how lucrative these drugs became, some marketers have found that color doesn't come up in many client conversations, but some are trying to change that.

Taking sildenafil citrate with other drugs like cocaine

Jeanne Ryan, principal at life sciences advertising firm ZS, said this has been especially true when the point-person for a new drug isn't in a commercialization role. In one instance, Ryan noted a client with a clinical asset who was looking into color options. The agency researched patient and pharmacist preferences, potential storage and handling issues, and regulatory and manufacturing requirements before offering a color recommendation, but the client ended up keeping to white. "One of the stated reasons why they stuck with white was that it wasn't their job to commercialize this drug, it wasn't their job to decide how to position it," she told BioPharma Dive. "They literally said they didn't want to take away any of the degrees of freedom from the ultimate brand team that would be responsible for those things." For drugmakers who do pursue color, the decision-making process is far more complicated than throwing a dart at a color wheel — as Ryan's anecdote suggests.

Are you currently using Sildenafil (Viagra, Revatio)?

Competition alone can greatly shape the selection. "If you have a big competitor in your category that is the orange brand, you're not going to go out and have orange be your primary color," Dave Traini, creative director at healthcare advertising agency Sentrix Health, said in an interview with BioPharma Dive. "So you do want to be mindful of what else has already been taken in that therapeutic category." With Viagra, Pfizer's adoption of blue pushed other erectile dysfunction brands to use a different color, such as the orange branding seen with Eli Lilly's Cialis (tadalafil). Lilly declined request for comment about Cialis branding. "Blue also connotes sort of a feeling of calm," Ryan said. The lettering used for each of their logos employ soothing cool tones of blue and purple, outfitted too with a multi-colored symbol of sorts. "As a company, we typically select a brand’s colors palette and logo years before launch, based on deep customer insights," Lilly, which makes one of those drugs, Emgality (galcanezumab), wrote in an email to BioPharma Dive. "We consider many variables when determining the color palette and logo," the company added.

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"The right combination of brand elements can evoke emotion from customers while helping to differentiate from other brands in the disease state and drug class. While consideration is given to other brands in the therapeutic area, ultimately we made our branding decisions based on customer insights." Lilly's not alone in its rationale, as drugmakers make most commercialization decisions based on what they think will resonate with patients and physicians.

Is generic medication less effective than brand-name medication?

"However, I wanted to highlight that persistent eye and vision problems may be encountered for a small number of users." Last year, researchers in Massachusetts reported the case of a man who developed vision loss, including "doughnut-shaped" spots in his vision, which lasted for at least two months after he'd consumed an entire bottle of liquid sildenafil. Related: Viagra goes generic: 5 interesting facts about the 'little blue pill' Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. Sildenafil treats erectile dysfunction by inhibiting an enzyme called phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5), which plays a role in regulating blood flow to the penis. But sildenafil also inhibits a related enzyme called phosphodiesterase type 6 (PDE6), which is found in retinal cells, the light-sensitive cells at the back of the eye. It's thought that, in high doses, this inhibition leads to the buildup of a molecule that is toxic to retinal cells, Live Science previously reported. Studies have shown color can bring forth strong, wide-ranging reactions from consumers. Though not extensive, research suggests patients are more inclined to take a drug when its color symbolizes the type of effect they're hoping to get. Warm-colored pills appear stimulating, cool-colored capsules imply sedation. The connotation with darkness or death across multiple cultures explains why black is a rare find among medicines.

Form	Packaging Options	Storage Conditions
Tablets	Blister packs of 10, 20, 30	Store below 25°C, dry place
Sublingual	Small blister packs	Keep away from moisture
Liquid solution	Bottles of 10 mL	Refrigerate if recommended

"If you have a product for, let's just say a dermatology product for psoriasis, you're not going to make the color red because that reminds people of inflammation.

The bottom line

Traini notes, however, that in his work the color of the actual pharmaceutical is less a point of conversation than the promotional materials which go along with it. That's partially because many of the drugs hitting the market right now are large-molecule biologics that come as injections rather than pills. But it's also because color decisions need to be made early on in drug development, sometimes before an advertising agency is even tapped to help commercialization. Ryan's noticed a similar trend, in that color conversations tend to happen in advance, "when a company is able to connect that pill color to their advertising and to their DTC campaign." "You know, the 'little purple pill.' I mean that was the entire sort of crux of that product when it came out," she said of Nexium, "and they really leveraged it." Yet even with Nexium and Viagra, their advertisements aren't just a single color, but rather a small assortment of complementary hues. "It's really about how the colors work together.

Can women take Viagra?

I'd say you definitely need to work from a palette," Traini said, adding that color gradients have been trending across digital marketing, and are starting to gain traction specifically in pharma. Pfizer and AstraZeneca declined requests for comment. Contrary to marketers, Nicolas Madit, business development manager at Lonza Pharma & Biotech, said he has conversations about color with pretty much every client he deals with. If the client wants color, it's a decision needed to be made early on, Madit said, because validating a new color takes between nine months and a year, due to a long list of production and regulatory tests that must be redone. Regulatory requirements sometimes also force a drugmaker's hand to choose a new pigment.

Follow safe, recommended doses

Certain colors can be restricted for pharmaceutical use in one country but not the next, creating problems particularly for multinational companies. In the U.S., for example, there's a limit on how much synthetic iron oxide is allowed chew sildenafil to go into ingested drugs. Madit said clients have described to Lonza the issues they're having staying compliant with color. "You don't know yet the color you want to develop; marketing did not say, 'Okay, I want the blue and the green or a yellow and red,'" he explained. To that end, the contract services provider recently rolled out its Colorista technology. You're not going to use the color yellow sildenafil 25 mg tablets for something treating an infection because that reminds you of puss," Sentrix's Traini said. The selection process becomes trickier still when a product is hitting multiple geographies or patient groups. In Japan and the U.S., which happen to be two of the biggest pharmaceutical markets in the world, white can symbolize very different things. Offering a unique color is also advantageous when the target population, such as elderly patients, is likely to be taking multiple medications and at risk of accidentally taking the wrong pill. Traini notes, however, that in his work the color of the actual pharmaceutical is less a point of conversation than the promotional materials which go along with it. That's partially because many of the drugs hitting the market right now are large-molecule biologics that come as injections rather than pills. But it's also because color decisions need to be made early on in drug development, sometimes before an advertising agency is even tapped to help commercialization. Ryan's noticed a similar trend, in that color conversations tend to happen in advance, "when a company is able to connect that pill color to their advertising and to their DTC campaign." "You know, the 'little purple pill.' I mean that was the entire sort of crux of that product when it came out," she said of Nexium, "and they really leveraged it." Yet even with Nexium and Viagra, their advertisements aren't just a single color, but rather a small assortment of complementary hues. "It's really about how the colors work together. I'd say you definitely need to work from a palette," Traini said, adding that color gradients have been trending across digital marketing, and are starting to gain traction specifically in pharma. Pfizer and AstraZeneca declined requests for comment. Contrary to marketers, Nicolas Madit, business development manager at Lonza Pharma & Biotech, said he has conversations about color with pretty much every client he deals with. If the client wants color, it's a decision needed to be made early on, Madit said, because validating a new color takes between nine months and a year, due to a long list of production and regulatory tests that must be redone.

Side Effect	Severity	Percentage of Users Affected	Notes
Headache	Mild to Moderate	20%	Usually alleviated with painkillers
Flushing	Mild	15%	Redness of face and neck
Nasal Congestion	Mild	10%	Runny or blocked nose
Dizziness	Mild to Moderate	8%	Avoid driving if occurs

Regulatory requirements sometimes also force a drugmaker's hand to choose a new pigment. Certain colors can be restricted for pharmaceutical use in one country but not the next, creating problems particularly for multinational companies. In the U.S., for example, there's a limit on how much synthetic iron oxide is allowed chew sildenafil to go into ingested drugs. Madit said clients have described to Lonza the issues they're having staying compliant with color. "You don't know yet the color you want to develop; marketing did not say, 'Okay, I want the blue and the green or a yellow and red,'" he explained. To that end, the contract services provider recently rolled out its Colorista technology. The platform uses special capsules that contain between 50 and 150 colorants, from which a specific color or specific colors can be selected later in the drug development process. Lonza sees a substantial customer base for the product, and argues its new system allows clients to still meet regulatory guidelines while also proving flexibility to pharma companies and marketers. Some men in a recent study had persistent, blue-tinted vision after taking sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra. Many men take the erectile dysfunction drug sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, without problems. But in rare cases, they may experience an odd side effect: changes in eyesight, including blue-tinted vision, that last for several weeks, according to a new report. The report, published Friday (Feb.

• Research indicates that blue sildenafil may improve quality of life for ED sufferers.
• Side effects are usually mild but can sometimes be severe, requiring medical attention.
• The pill's blue color is iconic and recognized worldwide as Viagra-like medication.
• Blue sildenafil can be part of a broader sexual health regimen under medical advice.
• Some users report enhanced confidence and reduced performance anxiety.
• Ensuring the correct dosage is vital to avoid adverse reactions.
• Sildenafil can sometimes cause changes in hearing or ringing in the ears.
• There are ongoing debates about the long-term effects of sildenafil use.
• Lifestyle factors like exercise and diet can influence sildenafil's effectiveness.
• Educational efforts emphasize responsible use to minimize health risks.

7) in the journal Frontiers in Neurology, describes the cases of 17 men who visited a hospital in Turkey with vision problems that persisted for more than 24 hours after they'd taken sildenafil.

Chemical synthesis

The problems reported included blurred vision, sensitivity to light, reduced eyesight and changes to color perception, including "intensely blue-colored vision," a side effect known as cyanopsia. Those with cyanopsia also reported "red-green colorblindness," in which red and green hues appear to be brownish, the report said.

Repurposing problems

The platform uses special capsules that contain between 50 and 150 colorants, from which a specific color or specific colors can be selected later in the drug development process. Lonza sees a substantial customer base for the product, and argues its new system allows clients to still meet regulatory guidelines while also proving flexibility to pharma companies and marketers. Some men in a recent study had persistent, blue-tinted vision after taking sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra. Many men take the erectile dysfunction drug sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, without problems. But in rare cases, they may experience an odd side effect: changes in eyesight, including blue-tinted vision, that last for several weeks, according to a new report.

Mild side effects

The report, published Friday (Feb. 7) in the journal Frontiers in Neurology, describes the cases of 17 men who visited a hospital in Turkey with vision problems that persisted for more than 24 hours after they'd taken sildenafil. The problems reported included blurred vision, sensitivity to light, reduced eyesight and changes to color perception, including "intensely blue-colored vision," a side effect known as cyanopsia. Those with cyanopsia also reported "red-green colorblindness," in which red and green hues appear to be brownish, the report said. None of the patients had a history of eye disease or colorblindness.

Viagra for ED

While it's known that sildenafil can cause temporary vision changes, including blurred vision and cyanopsia, these side effects typically disappear within 3 to 5 hours. Persistent vision changes, like those seen in this report, are much rarer. Fortunately, the vision problems for all of the men described in this report went away after 21 days. "For the vast majority of men, any side effects [of sildenafil] will be temporary and mild," study author Dr. Cüneyt Karaarslan, of the Dünyagöz Adana hospital in Turkey, said in a statement. None of the patients had a history of eye disease or colorblindness.

Sildenafil (Viagra) dosage

"Then their competitor that came out afterwards took advantage of that and said: we don't want to be calm, we're about virility and so we want to be the anti-blue pill." More recently, three similar migraine prevention treatments came to market within the span of a few months. The lettering used for each of their logos employ soothing cool tones of blue and purple, outfitted too with a multi-colored symbol of sorts. "As a company, we typically select a brand’s colors palette and logo years before launch, based on deep customer insights," Lilly, which makes one of those drugs, Emgality (galcanezumab), wrote in an email to BioPharma Dive. "We consider many variables when determining the color palette and logo," the company added. "The right combination of brand elements can evoke emotion from customers while helping to differentiate from other brands in the disease state and drug class.

How is sildenafil supplied (dosage forms)?

While consideration is given to other brands in the therapeutic area, ultimately we made our branding decisions based on customer insights." Lilly's not alone in its rationale, as drugmakers make most commercialization decisions based on what they think will resonate with patients and physicians. Studies have shown color can bring forth strong, wide-ranging reactions from consumers. Though not extensive, research suggests patients are more inclined to take a drug when its color symbolizes the type of effect they're hoping to get. Warm-colored pills appear stimulating, cool-colored capsules imply sedation. The connotation with darkness or death across multiple cultures explains why black is a rare find among medicines.

Hormonal imbalances

"If you have a product for, let's just say a dermatology product for psoriasis, you're not going to make the color red because that reminds people of inflammation. You're not going to use the color yellow sildenafil 25 mg tablets for something treating an infection because that reminds you of puss," Sentrix's Traini said. The selection process becomes trickier still when a product is hitting multiple geographies or patient groups. In Japan and the U.S., which happen to be two of the biggest pharmaceutical markets in the world, white can symbolize very different things. Offering a unique color is also advantageous when the target population, such as elderly patients, is likely to be taking multiple medications and at risk of accidentally taking the wrong pill. While it's known that sildenafil can cause temporary vision changes, including blurred vision and cyanopsia, these side effects typically disappear within 3 to 5 hours.

Pharmacist tips for Sildenafil (Viagra)

All of the men in the current report were first-time sildenafil users, and all of them took the highest recommended dose of the drug, 100 milligrams. Persistent vision changes, like those seen in this report, are much rarer. Fortunately, the vision problems for all of the men described in this report went away after 21 days. "For the vast majority of men, any side effects [of sildenafil] will be temporary and mild," study author Dr. Cüneyt Karaarslan, of the Dünyagöz Adana hospital in Turkey, said in a statement.

• The generic version is required to have the same active ingredient as Viagra.
• It can cause insomnia or abnormal dreams in a small number of users.
• The medication should be taken with a full glass of water to aid swallowing.
• It is not a hormone and does not affect testosterone levels.
• Patients with sickle cell anemia or multiple myeloma should use with caution.
• The pill is designed to disintegrate quickly in the stomach for fast absorption.
• It is essential to purchase only from licensed and verified pharmacies.

"However, I wanted to highlight that persistent eye and vision problems may be encountered for a small number of users." Last year, researchers in Massachusetts reported the case of a man who developed vision loss, including "doughnut-shaped" spots in his vision, which lasted for at least two months after he'd consumed an entire bottle of liquid sildenafil. Related: Viagra goes generic: 5 interesting facts about the 'little blue pill' Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. Sildenafil treats erectile dysfunction by inhibiting an enzyme called phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5), which plays a role in regulating blood flow to the penis. But sildenafil also inhibits a related enzyme called phosphodiesterase type 6 (PDE6), which is found in retinal cells, the light-sensitive cells at the back of the eye. It's thought that, in high doses, this inhibition leads to the buildup of a molecule that is toxic to retinal cells, Live Science previously reported. All of the men in the current report were first-time sildenafil users, and all of them took the highest recommended dose of the drug, 100 milligrams.