Key takeaways
Jardiance (empagliflozin) and glipizide are both medications used to treat Type 2 diabetes, but they work in different ways and belong to different drug classes. Jardiance is a sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor that helps lower blood sugar by causing your body to get rid of excess sugar through urine. It also has benefits for heart failure and chronic kidney disease. Glipizide, on the other hand, is a sulfonylurea that lowers blood sugar by telling your pancreas to release more insulin. Jardiance is taken once daily and is only available as a brand-name medication, with generics expected in 2025. Glipizide can be taken once or twice daily and is available as a lower-cost generic. While Jardiance can cause urinary tract and yeast infections, Glipizide can lead to dangerously low blood sugar levels, especially if you skip meals. Additionally, glipizide may cause weight gain, whereas Jardiance is not likely to cause weight gain and may even lead to some weight loss.
