Farxiga vs. Trulicity

See how Farxiga and Trulicity compare on approved uses, dosing, side effects, and cost.

Key Takeaways

  • Farxiga is a once-daily oral tablet, while Trulicity is a once-weekly injection, so the two differ mainly in how they are taken and in their side effect profiles.

  • Farxiga is FDA-approved for heart failure and chronic kidney disease in addition to type 2 diabetes, while Trulicity's added approval is for reducing cardiovascular events.

  • Trulicity tends to cause more gastrointestinal side effects like nausea, while Farxiga carries a higher risk of genital and urinary tract infections.

Farxiga vs. Trulicity Drug Summary

Farxiga

Farxiga (dapagliflozin) is an SGLT2 inhibitor that lowers blood sugar by helping the kidneys remove excess glucose through urine. It's taken as a once-daily oral tablet and is also approved to treat heart failure and slow chronic kidney disease. The FDA approved it in 2014 for adults and children 10 and older with type 2 diabetes.

Trulicity

Trulicity (dulaglutide) is a GLP-1 receptor agonist that helps control blood sugar by boosting insulin release and slowing digestion. It's given as a once-weekly injection using a prefilled pen and is also approved to lower cardiovascular risk in adults with heart disease. The FDA approved it in 2014 for adults and children 10 and older with type 2 diabetes.

Farxiga vs. Trulicity Side Effects

Farxiga

Most common
Genital mycotic infection (6.9%)
Nasopharyngitis (6.3%)
Urinary tract infections (4.3%)
Back pain (4.2%)

Trulicity

Most common
Nausea (up to 21.1%)
Diarrhea (up to 13%)
Vomiting (up to 13%)
Abdominal pain (up to 13%)

Farxiga vs. Trulicity Dosage

Farxiga

Dosage
Dosage Table
STAGE DOSE WHEN
Starting dose 5 mg once daily At the start
Maximum dose 10 mg once daily If needed
Dose changes 1 increase As tolerated

Trulicity

Dosage
Dosage Table
STAGE DOSE WHEN
Starting dose 0.75 mg once weekly Weeks 1-4
Maximum dose 4.5 mg once weekly If needed
Dose changes 3 increases Every 4 weeks

Farxiga vs. Trulicity Indications

Farxiga

Farxiga is approved to improve blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes and to treat heart failure, reduce heart failure hospitalization risk, and slow chronic kidney disease progression. These extra approvals make it useful for people managing diabetes alongside heart or kidney conditions.

  • Blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes (adults and children 10+)

  • Reduce heart failure hospitalization risk

  • Treat heart failure to lower cardiovascular death risk

Trulicity

Trulicity is approved to improve blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes and to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events in adults with heart disease or multiple risk factors. It's sometimes used off-label for weight loss in people without diabetes.

  • Blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes (adults and children 10+)

  • Reduce major cardiovascular event risk

  • Off-label: weight loss in people without diabetes

Farxiga vs. Trulicity Pros and Cons

Farxiga

Farxiga offers broader FDA approval across diabetes, heart failure, and kidney disease, and comes as a convenient once-daily pill. It carries risks of genital and urinary infections and isn't suitable for people with advanced kidney disease.

Pros

  • Oral tablet, no injections needed

  • Approved for heart failure and chronic kidney disease, not just diabetes

  • Roughly $400 to $785 per month without insurance, lower than Trulicity

Cons

  • Higher risk of genital yeast infections and UTIs

  • Rare risk of Fournier's gangrene, a serious genital infection

  • Not recommended for advanced kidney disease or dialysis patients

  • Can trigger ketoacidosis even with near-normal blood sugar

Trulicity

Trulicity has strong evidence for reducing cardiovascular events and tends to produce more weight loss than Farxiga. It requires a weekly injection and carries a boxed warning for thyroid tumors seen in animal studies.

Pros

  • Associated with more significant weight loss

  • Only needs to be taken once a week

  • Strong clinical trial data for reducing cardiovascular events

Cons

  • Common gastrointestinal side effects like nausea and vomiting

  • Boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumors seen in animal studies

  • Roughly $987 to $1,065 per month without insurance, higher than Farxiga

  • Requires injection instead of a pill

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