Contrave vs. Jardiance
See how Contrave and Jardiance compare on approved uses, dosing, side effects, and cost.
Key Takeaways
Contrave is an oral weight-loss combination of naltrexone and bupropion, while Jardiance is an SGLT2 inhibitor approved for type 2 diabetes and related heart and kidney conditions.
Contrave carries a boxed warning for suicidal thoughts and behaviors, while Jardiance's main risks are genital and urinary infections, dehydration, and rare diabetic ketoacidosis.
Jardiance has broader FDA approvals spanning diabetes, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease, while Contrave is approved specifically for chronic weight management.
Contrave vs. Jardiance Drug Summary
Contrave
Contrave combines naltrexone and bupropion in an extended-release tablet approved for chronic weight management in adults with obesity, or overweight plus a weight-related condition. It is taken twice daily after a short titration period, alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.
Jardiance
Jardiance (empagliflozin) is an SGLT2 inhibitor taken once daily that lowers blood sugar by increasing glucose excretion through urine. It is FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes and also reduces cardiovascular death risk in heart failure and slows chronic kidney disease progression.
Contrave vs. Jardiance Side Effects
Contrave
Jardiance
Contrave vs. Jardiance Dosage
Contrave
Jardiance
| STAGE | DOSE | WHEN |
| Starting dose | 8 mg/90 mg once daily | Week 1 |
| Maximum dose | 16 mg/180 mg twice daily | Week 3 |
| Dose changes | 2 increases | Every week |
| STAGE | DOSE | WHEN |
| Starting dose | 10 mg once daily | At the start |
| Maximum dose | 10 mg once daily | Same as starting |
| Dose changes | None | Fixed dose |
Contrave
| STAGE | DOSE | WHEN |
| Starting dose | 8 mg/90 mg once daily | Week 1 |
| Maximum dose | 16 mg/180 mg twice daily | Week 3 |
| Dose changes | 2 increases | Every week |
Jardiance
| STAGE | DOSE | WHEN |
| Starting dose | 10 mg once daily | At the start |
| Maximum dose | 10 mg once daily | Same as starting |
| Dose changes | None | Fixed dose |
Contrave vs. Jardiance Indications
Contrave
Contrave is FDA-approved for chronic weight management in adults with obesity, or overweight with at least one weight-related condition such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure. It works by combining an opioid antagonist and an antidepressant to help reduce appetite and food cravings.
For adults with obesity (BMI ≥30) or overweight (≥27) with a weight-related condition
Used with reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity
Combines naltrexone and bupropion to reduce appetite and cravings
Taken as an oral tablet, titrated up over three weeks
Jardiance
Jardiance is FDA-approved to control blood sugar in adults and children 10 and older with type 2 diabetes. It also carries approvals to reduce cardiovascular death in adults with heart disease, reduce cardiovascular death and hospitalization in heart failure, and slow the progression of chronic kidney disease.
For adults and children 10+ with type 2 diabetes
Reduces cardiovascular death risk in adults with heart disease
Reduces cardiovascular death and hospitalization in heart failure
Slows progression of chronic kidney disease
Contrave vs. Jardiance Pros and Cons
Contrave
Contrave is the only oral, non-GLP-1 prescription combination pill approved specifically for weight loss, giving people who prefer tablets over injections a real option. Its bupropion component carries a boxed warning for suicidal thoughts, and it has more contraindications than many weight-loss medications.
Pros
Only approved oral, non-GLP-1 weight-loss combination pill
No injections needed, taken as a tablet
Simple three-week titration schedule
May reduce food cravings through central appetite pathways
Cons
Boxed warning for suicidal thoughts and behaviors
Contraindicated with seizure history, opioid use, and MAOIs
Higher list price, roughly $750 to $840 per month without insurance
Nausea affects about a third of users
Jardiance
Jardiance's SGLT2 mechanism gives it benefits well beyond glucose control, including proven reductions in heart failure hospitalization and chronic kidney disease progression. It is not approved for weight loss, though modest weight loss can occur as a side effect of its glucose-lowering action.
Pros
Also approved for heart failure and chronic kidney disease
Once-daily dosing with no titration required
Lower list price, roughly $350 to $620 per month without insurance
Proven cardiovascular death risk reduction beyond glucose control
Cons
Not approved for weight management despite modest weight loss effect
Risk of genital and urinary tract infections
Rare risk of diabetic ketoacidosis, even with normal blood sugar
Rare but serious risk of Fournier's gangrene
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