Trulicity vs. Farxiga
See how Trulicity and Farxiga compare on approved uses, dosing, side effects, and cost.
Key Takeaways
Trulicity is a once-weekly injected GLP-1 that lowers blood sugar and reduces cardiovascular risk in adults with type 2 diabetes.
Farxiga is a once-daily pill approved for type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease, even in people without diabetes.
Both treat type 2 diabetes but differ in form, mechanism, and the specific heart or kidney conditions they're approved to address.
Trulicity vs. Farxiga Drug Summary
Trulicity
Trulicity (dulaglutide) is a GLP-1 receptor agonist used to manage blood sugar in adults and children 10 and older with type 2 diabetes. It also lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes and existing heart disease or multiple risk factors. It's injected once a week using a prefilled pen.
Farxiga
Farxiga (dapagliflozin) is an SGLT2 inhibitor taken as a once-daily tablet. It's approved for blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes, and also to reduce heart failure hospitalization, treat heart failure directly, and slow chronic kidney disease progression. It works by helping the kidneys remove excess glucose through urine.
Trulicity vs. Farxiga Side Effects
Trulicity
Farxiga
Trulicity vs. Farxiga Dosage
Trulicity
Farxiga
| 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 |
| 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
| 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
| 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 vs. Farxiga Indications
Trulicity
Trulicity is FDA-approved to improve blood sugar control in adults and children 10 and older with type 2 diabetes. It's also approved to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes who have heart disease or multiple risk factors. Some prescribers also use it off-label for weight loss in people without diabetes.
Blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes (ages 10+)
Reduces risk of major cardiovascular events
Approved for pediatric type 2 diabetes (age 10+)
Off-label use for weight loss (not FDA-approved)
Farxiga
Farxiga is FDA-approved for blood sugar control in adults and children 10 and older with type 2 diabetes. It's also approved to reduce heart failure hospitalization, treat heart failure directly, and slow chronic kidney disease progression, regardless of diabetes status. This gives it a broader range of approved uses than most diabetes medications.
Blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes (ages 10+)
Reduces heart failure hospitalization risk
Treats heart failure to lower cardiovascular death
Slows chronic kidney disease progression
Trulicity vs. Farxiga Pros and Cons
Trulicity
Trulicity has strong outcomes data for lowering cardiovascular risk in people with type 2 diabetes and existing heart disease. It's delivered as a weekly injection rather than a daily pill, and gastrointestinal side effects are common during the first weeks of use. It also carries a boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumors seen in animal studies.
Pros
Reduces cardiovascular events in people with existing heart disease
Approved for pediatric type 2 diabetes patients (age 10+)
Only one injection needed per week, not a daily dose
Cons
Requires an injection rather than a pill
Gastrointestinal side effects (nausea, diarrhea, vomiting) are common
Boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumors
Costs more than Farxiga (roughly $987 to $1,065 vs $400 to $785 monthly, before savings programs)
Farxiga
Farxiga is taken as a once-daily pill and is approved across diabetes, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease, giving it use beyond blood sugar control alone. It carries risks of genitourinary infections and, rarely, ketoacidosis even when blood sugar looks normal. It isn't recommended for glycemic control in people with more advanced kidney impairment.
Pros
Taken as a once-daily oral tablet, no injections needed
Approved to treat heart failure directly, not just reduce risk
Approved to slow chronic kidney disease progression, even without diabetes
Cons
Increases risk of genital yeast infections and urinary tract infections
Small risk of serious infections, including Fournier's gangrene
Risk of ketoacidosis even when blood sugar levels look normal
Not recommended for blood sugar control in advanced kidney impairment
Common Symptoms and Related Diseases You Can Explore
Explore a range of common symptoms the Doctronic Symptom Checker can help you understand.