Ozempic vs. Jardiance for Type 2 Diabetes: 6 Key Differences You Should Know About

When it comes to managing Type 2 diabetes, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Most people focus on lowering blood glucose (sugar) levels. But you might also need to manage risk factors or related health conditions. And depending on your needs, certain medications may be a better fit than others.

Ozempic (semaglutide) and Jardiance (empagliflozin) are two diabetes medications to consider. They have a few things in common, including cardiovascular benefits for certain people. But there are specific reasons why you might take one over the other — or both. We discuss six key differences between Ozempic and Jardiance below.

1. Ozempic and Jardiance work differently for Type 2 diabetes

Ozempic and Jardiance work differently to manage blood sugar levels.

Ozempic is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. It simulates the effects of GLP-1, which is a gut hormone. It triggers insulin release after you eat and reduces sugar production in the liver. It also keeps food in your stomach longer. Additionally, Ozempic works on areas of the brain that regulate appetite and fullness.

Jardiance is a sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor. It prevents your kidneys from reabsorbing sugar, so that it leaves your body through your urine. Jardiance also has this effect on sodium, which may help lower your blood pressure.

Does the difference in how Ozempic and Jardiance work affect blood sugar levels? The short answer: Yes. Ozempic can provide greater reductions in hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C or A1C), or your average blood sugar levels over 2 to 3 months. Ozempic has been shown to lower A1C by about 2%, depending on the dose. Jardiance lowers A1C by about 1%.

2. Ozempic and Jardiance come in different dosage forms

One of the most obvious differences between Ozempic and Jardiance is how you take them. Jardiance is a once-daily oral tablet, while Ozempic is available as both a once-weekly injection and a daily oral tablet.

Ozempic tablets have specific instructions for how to take them. You should take them first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, with no more than 4 oz of plain water. You’ll need to wait at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking more fluids, or taking other medications. In contrast, Jardiance is taken in the morning with or without food.

Jardiance is also available in several combination pills. This includes Synjardy and Synjardy XR, which combine it with metformin, and Glyxambi, which combines it with linagliptin. There’s also Trijardy XR, which contains both metformin and linagliptin. Ozempic isn’t available in a combination injection or pill, but this may change in the future.

Good to know: Oral semaglutide currently comes in two formulations. The original formulation (R1) is sold as Rybelsus. But it will be discontinued and replaced by the newer formulation (R2), which is sold under the brand name Ozempic, like the injections.

3. Jardiance is approved for adults and children, while Ozempic is approved only for adults

Jardiance is 1 of 4 oral medications approved for Type 2 diabetes in children. The others are Farxiga (dapagliflozin), Invokana (canagliflozin), and metformin. Jardiance is approved for people as young as 10 years old.

Ozempic is approved only for adults. But several other GLP-1 medications are approved for use in children. These include Victoza (liraglutide), Trulicity (dulaglutide), and Mounjaro (tirzepatide).

Metformin is a good starting point for most children. A healthcare professional may add a GLP-1 medication and/or Jardiance if metformin isn’t adequately lowering blood sugar levels. In some situations, insulin may be recommended.

4. Ozempic can result in greater weight loss than Jardiance

For many people with Type 2 diabetes, losing even a small amount of weight makes blood sugar levels easier to manage. And if chronic weight management is part of your diabetes treatment plan, Ozempic will likely be more beneficial than Jardiance.

Ozempic is a valuable treatment for people with Type 2 diabetes because of its effects on body weight. During a 40-week trial, people who received the highest Ozempic dose (2 mg) lost 15 lbs on average. But some people taking it report losing even more weight.

Jardiance can cause weight loss, too. This tends to be about 4 lbs to 6 lbs after 6 months. Though, one study’s participants reported about 12 lbs of weight loss when Jardiance was paired with dietary changes, compared with almost 5 lbs of weight loss without.

Both medications work best when paired with a diabetes-friendly diet and regular exercise. Keep in mind that factors like your dose and other medications can affect how much weight you lose.

5. Jardiance and Ozempic have different approved uses

Ozempic and Jardiance both have cardiovascular and kidney-related benefits for certain people with diabetes. But Jardiance is also approved to treat heart failure and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in people with and without diabetes.

Jardiance and Farxiga (dapagliflozin) are the only SGLT2 inhibitors approved to treat the two most common types of heart failure. If you have heart failure, Jardiance could help keep you out of the hospital and lower your risk of cardiovascular death.

For people with CKD, Jardiance can help slow down kidney damage and lower the risk of end-stage kidney disease, hospitalization, and cardiovascular death. If you have diabetes and CKD, Jardiance can be a good addition to your treatment plan. But it may not lower your blood sugar as well if you have severe CKD.

Ozempic injections are also approved to treat CKD in people with Type 2 diabetes. During clinical trials, it lowered the risk of serious kidney-related events, major cardiovascular events, and death from any cause in this population.

6. Ozempic and Jardiance have different side effects

Another difference between Ozempic and Jardiance is their side effects. Many Ozempic side effects are due to how it affects your gastrointestinal tract. Many Jardiance side effects are from urinating out sugar.

Common Ozempic side effects include nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain. These side effects are usually worse when starting Ozempic or increasing the dose. But for many people, they improve over time. Limiting or avoiding certain foods may help in the meantime.

Jardiance can cause increased urination as you pee out more sugar and sodium. Other common Jardiance side effects include urinary tract infections (UTIs) and genital infections. Keep in mind, diabetes increases your risk of UTIs and other infections, too.

While less common, Ozempic and Jardiance can also cause serious side effects. With Ozempic, these include pancreatitis (swelling of the pancreas), gallbladder disease, and worsening of diabetes-related eye problems. There’s also a theoretical risk of thyroid C-cell tumors. With Jardiance, there’s a risk of serious genital infections and ketoacidosis (too much acid in the blood).

How to save on Ozempic and Jardiance

There are ways to save on Ozempic and Jardiance, which are available as brand-name medications. GoodRx coupons, manufacturer copay savings cards, and patient assistance programs could help make your prescription more affordable:

• Save with GoodRx. If you’re new to using GoodRx for Ozempic savings, pay an introductory price of $199 per month for the first two fills (only available for certain doses). After that, most ongoing fills are priced at $349 per month, depending on the dose. You can also access the Ozempic pill starting at $149 per month.

• Save with copay savings cards. If you have commercial insurance, you could pay as little as $25 for up to a 3-month supply of Ozempic with a copay savings card. Or you could pay as little as $0 for up to a 3-month supply of Jardiance with a copay card.

• Save with patient assistance programs. If you’re eligible, you could pay $0 for Ozempic or Jardiance through a patient assistance program.

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Written by:

Alyssa Billingsley, PharmD

Alyssa Billingsley, PharmD, is the director of pharmacy content for GoodRx. She has over a decade of experience as a pharmacist and has worked in clinical, academic, and administrative roles.

Reviewed by:

Christina Aungst, PharmD

Christina Aungst, PharmD, is a pharmacy editor for GoodRx. She began writing for GoodRx Health in 2019, transitioning from freelance writer to editor in 2021.

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