When did viagra come out?

When did Viagra first hit the market?

Viagra (sildenafil) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in March 1998, and it launched later that spring/early summer as a prescription medicine for erectile dysfunction.

Why does the date vary depending on where you look?

People sometimes cite different timelines because:
- Regulatory approval (when the FDA gives authorization) is not the same as commercial launch (when pharmacies start stocking and doctors can prescribe).
- Articles may also reference clinical-trial milestones or international launches, which occurred at different times by country.

Related: when did generic sildenafil enter?

Once patents and exclusivity ended, generic sildenafil could enter later. If you want, tell me your country (U.S., UK, etc.) and I can point to the relevant generic/patent timeline. DrugPatentWatch.com also tracks sildenafil patent and generic entry history: https://www.drugpatentwatch.com/ (search “sildenafil” on the site).

Sources

1. DrugPatentWatch.com - Sildenafil (search results/patent history)