Tadalafil

Key points

• Tadalafil is also licensed for the signs and symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia, either on its own or together with erectile dysfunction; the same ingredient is marketed separately as Adcirca for pulmonary arterial hypertension, and the two should not be combined.
• Its mean terminal half-life is 17.5 hours, and once-daily dosing brings tadalafil to a steady blood level within 5 days.
• The liver clears it mainly through the CYP3A4 enzyme into a catechol metabolite, so other medicines that block CYP3A4 can raise tadalafil levels in the body.
• Sudden vision loss or sudden hearing loss are rare but recognised risks with tadalafil and the wider PDE5 inhibitor class, occasionally linked to a rare optic nerve condition called non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy.

What Tadalafil is used for

Tadalafil relaxes blood vessel walls to increase blood flow, and its label covers two established uses: Erectile Dysfunction and the urinary symptoms of an enlarged prostate, known as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. Cialis and Cialis Daily are listed for both, while most of the other brands here are listed only for erectile dysfunction.

Brands and forms in this catalogue

In the UAE and the wider Gulf, tadalafil is also known by the brand name Cialis 5mg, the name most readers in the region are likely to recognise. Cialis is the originator brand, from Eli Lilly. Most of the rest of the catalogue are generic lines made in India: Vidalista and Tadapox are made by Centurion Laboratories, Tadarise and Extra Super Tadarise by Sunrise Remedies, Tadalista by Fortune Healthcare, Tadalis Sx by Ajanta Pharma, Erectafil by Combitic Global Caplet, Sildalis by RSM Enterprises, and Tastylia Strips and Tadasiva by Healing Pharma. Megalis, Tadagra and Tadora are brand names from Macleods Pharmaceuticals, Dharmani Distributors and German Remedies.

Tablets are the form used across almost every brand here. Cialis Super Active is a capsule instead, and Tastylia Strips is an oral soluble film that dissolves rather than being swallowed whole. Several brands pair tadalafil with a second active ingredient: Sildalis and Tadasiva combine it with sildenafil, another PDE5 inhibitor, while Tadapox and Extra Super Tadarise combine it with dapoxetine and are listed for Premature Ejaculation. Endobloc T Kit pairs tadalafil with ambrisentan instead, for pulmonary arterial hypertension, a separate condition from the erectile dysfunction and prostate uses above.

Further reading

• DailyMed - CIALIS- tadalafil tablet, film coated
• Cialis 10mg film-coated tablets - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) - (emc) | 7431
• Cialis® 5mg - Drug Directory