Head-to-head comparisons of medication uses, side effects, warnings, and more.
Key takeaways
Jardiance (empagliflozin) and Trulicity (dulaglutide) are both medications used to manage Type 2 diabetes, but they work in different ways and have different forms. Jardiance is an oral tablet taken once daily, while Trulicity is an injectable medication used once a week. Jardiance is a sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor that helps your kidneys remove excess sugar through urine, and it also helps with heart failure and chronic kidney disease. On the other hand, Trulicity is a Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist that helps your body release more insulin, slows digestion, and reduces sugar release into the bloodstream. Jardiance can cause urinary tract infections and yeast infections, while Trulicity often causes nausea and other stomach issues. Currently, Jardiance does not have a generic version available until at least 2025, whereas Trulicity is only available as a brand-name medication. Both medications can help with weight loss, but neither is specifically approved for this purpose.
Trulicity (dulaglutide) is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist that helps control blood sugar in people 10 years and older with Type 2 diabetes. It's also approved to lower the risk of heart problems like heart attacks, strokes, and heart-related death in certain adults with Type 2 diabetes. The medication is injected under the skin once a week. Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain. When taken with certain diabetes medications like insulin, there's a higher risk of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
Indications of Jardiance vs. Trulicity
Indications for
•Type 2 diabetes (in addition to diet and exercise) in people age 10 years and older
•Lowering the risk of death due to heart problems in adults with Type 2 diabetes and heart disease
•Lowering the risk of hospitalization and death due to heart problems in adults with heart failure
•Lowering the risk of worsening kidney problems, hospitalization, and death due to heart problems in adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD)
Indications for
•Manage Type 2 diabetes in people 10 years and older, along with diet and exercise
•Lower the risk of heart problems like heart attack, stroke, or death in adults with Type 2 diabetes who have heart disease or heart-related risk factors