Jardiance vs. Trulicity

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

Key Takeaways

  • Jardiance is a once-daily pill from the SGLT2 inhibitor class, while Trulicity is a once-weekly injection from the GLP-1 receptor agonist class.

  • Both lower blood sugar in type 2 diabetes and protect the heart, but only Jardiance is approved for heart failure and chronic kidney disease.

  • Trulicity commonly causes nausea and digestive symptoms, while Jardiance's main risks involve infections, fluid loss, and rare diabetic ketoacidosis.

Jardiance vs. Trulicity Drug Summary

Jardiance

Jardiance (empagliflozin) is an SGLT2 inhibitor that lowers blood sugar by making the kidneys remove more glucose through urine. It is taken as a single tablet once a day and is also approved to protect the heart and kidneys in adults with related conditions.

Trulicity

Trulicity (dulaglutide) is a GLP-1 receptor agonist that helps the body release more insulin and slows digestion to control blood sugar. It comes as a prefilled pen injected under the skin once a week and is also approved to lower cardiovascular risk in adults with type 2 diabetes.

Jardiance vs. Trulicity Side Effects

Jardiance

Most common
hypoglycemia with insulin or sulfonylurea (up to 41.3%)
volume depletion related reactions (up to 11.4%)
urinary tract infection (up to 9.3%)
female genital mycotic infection (up to 5.4%)

Trulicity

Most common
nausea (up to 21.1%)
diarrhea (up to 13%)
vomiting (up to 13%)
abdominal pain (up to 13%)

Jardiance vs. Trulicity Dosage

Jardiance

Dosage
Dosage Table
STAGE DOSE WHEN
Starting dose 10 mg once daily At the start
Maximum dose 25 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 1.5 mg once weekly Week 5 onward
Dose changes 1 increase Every 4 weeks

Jardiance vs. Trulicity Indications

Jardiance

Jardiance is FDA approved to control blood sugar in adults and children 10 and older with type 2 diabetes. It also carries approvals for reducing cardiovascular death in people with heart disease, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease, making its use broader than blood sugar control alone.

  • Type 2 diabetes blood sugar control (age 10+)

  • Reduce cardiovascular death with heart disease

  • Heart failure, any ejection fraction

Trulicity

Trulicity is FDA approved to control blood sugar in adults and children 10 and older with type 2 diabetes. It is also approved to lower the risk of major cardiovascular events in people with type 2 diabetes who have heart disease or multiple risk factors for it.

  • Type 2 diabetes blood sugar control (age 10+)

  • Reduce major cardiovascular events

  • Weight loss in people without diabetes (off-label)

Jardiance vs. Trulicity Pros and Cons

Jardiance

Jardiance offers a simple once-daily pill with proven benefits beyond blood sugar, including protection for the heart and kidneys. It costs less out of pocket than Trulicity but carries its own risks, particularly around infections and fluid balance.

Pros

  • Oral tablet, no injections needed

  • Approved for heart failure and kidney disease

  • Approved for pediatric type 2 diabetes (age 10+)

Cons

  • Risk of diabetic ketoacidosis, even with normal glucose

  • Can cause genital yeast infections and UTIs

  • Risk of dehydration and low blood pressure

  • Not recommended in later pregnancy

Trulicity

Trulicity delivers strong blood sugar control and appetite reduction through a once-weekly injection, which some patients prefer over a daily pill. It carries a thyroid tumor warning and tends to cause more digestive side effects, and it costs considerably more out of pocket.

Pros

  • Only needs to be injected once a week

  • Tends to reduce appetite and support weight loss

  • Four dose strengths allow gradual titration

Cons

  • Boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumors

  • Contraindicated with personal or family history of MTC or MEN2

  • Nausea and other GI symptoms are common

  • Roughly $987 to $1,065 per month without insurance, before savings programs

Common Symptoms and Related Diseases You Can Explore

Explore a range of common symptoms the Doctronic Symptom Checker can help you understand.