On March 27, 1998, Viagra made history as the first oral medication in the United States to be approved by the FDA for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Its main active ingredient, Sildenafil, has been known to be a competitive cGMP specific phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor that helps promote blood flow to the penis to stimulate an erection (1).
It wasn’t too long until Viagra rose to fame and became part of pop culture as a recreational drug because people believed that it helped increase libido and improve sexual performance.
But for those living outside the United States, the availability of Viagra may be limited, or it’s too expensive for many to afford. So it’s not uncommon for other countries to create a drug of their own, one that works like Viagra but more suited to their lifestyle and budget.
In Vietnam, ICA Biotechnological & Pharmaceutical launched what it called the Vietnamese Viagra in 2005, a drug named Adagrin, which retails at 63,000 VND ($4) per pill. The company said that the primary goal of developing Adagrin that contains Sildenafil, the main active ingredient of Viagra, was to address the growing erectile dysfunction statistic in the country.
According to a cross-sectional study done on 746 married Vietnamese men, 66.9% experienced erectile dysfunction symptoms. It was also discovered that 33.1% of the respondents reported having a low quality of life (2). But is Adagrin as effective as Viagra?
- Adagrin contains Sildenafil, the first phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor introduced in 1998 through Viagra. It is believed that Sildenafil treated more than 20 million men for erectile dysfunction in its first six years in the market (3).
In Vietnam, at least 40% of the general male population over 40 years old suffers from erectile dysfunction, and up to 65.3% of them are suffering from type 2 diabetes.
- Adagrin is sold by prescription. A box of this Vietnamese Viagra contains one blister with three film-coated 50mg tablets. Aside from pharmacies around Vietnam, Adagrin is also available online, where it costs from $2 to $7 each.
- The recommended dosage for Adagrin is one pill to be taken one hour before planned sexual intercourse. With a doctor’s prescription, however, up to two 50mg tablets can be taken in a day.
- Aside from treating erectile dysfunction, Adagrin is also prescribed for patients suffering from pulmonary arterial hypertension but only in small doses.
- You can expect some common side effects related to Sildenafil, including flushing, dyspepsia, headaches, and transient visual changes. It should also not be taken in combination with nitrates because it can cause fatal hypotension. It is also not offered to patients with existing cardiac conditions (4).
There is no concrete data yet to prove whether the Vietnamese Viagra Adagrin is as effective as the blockbuster Viagra when it comes to treating erectile dysfunction.
Although some men have reported using the medication and enjoying its benefits, further studies have yet to be conducted to fully assess the efficiency of Adagrin as a treatment for erectile dysfunction.
If you’re one of the thousands of Vietnamese men suffering from the symptoms of erectile dysfunction, the best thing to do is to consult your doctor to know exactly how to address the problem.
