Jardiance vs Ozempic

 Quick Answer

Jardiance and Ozempic are not the same drug. Jardiance is a once-daily tablet that helps your kidneys remove extra sugar through urine. Ozempic is a GLP-1 medicine, given as a weekly injection or a daily pill. Ozempic usually lowers blood sugar and weight more, while Jardiance is also approved for heart failure. Your doctor decides which fits you.

Are you searching for an effective medication to manage Type 2 diabetes? If so, you’ve probably heard of Jardiance and Ozempic. Both drugs are FDA-approved and widely prescribed for controlling blood glucose levels and for off-label use in weight loss. If you’re trying to decide which one is better for you, this article on Jardiance vs. Ozempic for diabetes and weight loss explores their 10 key differences.

Is Jardiance the Same as Ozempic?

No. Jardiance and Ozempic are different medicines. Jardiance belongs to a class of drugs known as sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, according to its FDA-approved label. Ozempic is a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, as stated in the Ozempic injection label. The FDA has approved both to manage Type 2 diabetes. Jardiance is not a GLP-1 drug and has no semaglutide.

Besides regulating blood sugar levels, they also have heart and kidney benefits. Additionally, their effects on metabolism can cause weight loss, which is a helpful side effect for patients who are overweight or obese. So, is Jardiance like Ozempic in how it works to reduce weight and control blood sugar? No. While similar in a few ways, they differ in many other aspects. For another SGLT2 comparison, see our Farxiga vs. Ozempic guide.

Is There a Jardiance Injection or Pen?

No. The FDA has approved Jardiance only as a tablet, in 10 mg and 25 mg strengths, taken by mouth once a day. There is no Jardiance injection, no Jardiance pen, and no empagliflozin injection.

The confusion may come from Ozempic, which is injected. If you were told to inject a medicine once a week for Type 2 diabetes, that is a different drug, such as Ozempic or Mounjaro. Be careful with any website that sells an injectable form of Jardiance, because the FDA-approved product is a tablet only.

Ozempic vs. Jardiance: 10 Key Differences

While both are approved by the FDA to treat Type 2 diabetes, many still ask, “What’s the difference between Jardiance and Ozempic?” Beyond their approved indications, they contain different active ingredients and differ in mechanisms of action, dosage forms, and administration methods. Here’s a comparison table for Jardiance vs. Ozempic that summarizes their key differences.

1. Active Ingredient and Drug Class

Jardiance is a type of SGLT2 inhibitor and contains the active substance empagliflozin. The FDA has approved it to manage Type 2 diabetes. It also helps lower the chances of death and hospitalization in patients with heart failure, protects the kidneys in chronic kidney disease, and lowers the risk of cardiovascular death in those with Type 2 diabetes and heart conditions.

Ozempic, on the other hand, contains semaglutide and belongs to a class of drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists. Doctors prescribe it to patients with Type 2 diabetes, alongside a healthy diet and exercise, to manage blood sugar levels. It’s also recommended for those with co-existing diabetes and heart disease or chronic kidney disease to prevent complications.

If you have diabetes, your doctor may prescribe Jardiance or Ozempic, depending on which drug best suits your health goals and needs.

2. Mechanism of Action

As an SGLT2 inhibitor, Jardiance works by helping your kidneys flush excess glucose out of the body through urine. It works by blocking a protein in the kidney called SGLT2, which usually carries sugar back into the bloodstream. As a result, more sugar gets eliminated through urine instead of returning to the blood.

Ozempic is a GLP-1 receptor agonist that mimics a natural hormone, GLP-1. Its FDA label explains that it stimulates insulin release when blood sugar is high, lowers glucagon, and slows digestion. All of these actions contribute to regulating blood sugar levels in diabetes patients.

3. Dosing and Dosage Form

Jardiance comes in tablet forms of 10 mg and 25 mg. The recommended initial dose is 10 mg, taken daily in the morning with or without food. The doctor may increase the dose to 25 mg if the patient requires a more potent medication for better sugar control.

Meanwhile, the recommended starting dose for the Ozempic injection is 0.25 mg, injected under the skin once weekly at any time of the day for four weeks. This starting dose is not meant to control blood sugar. After about a month, the doctor increases it to 0.5 mg weekly, then 1 mg, and the maximum 2 mg dose if the patient requires a stronger medication. The dose is increased no sooner than every four weeks. At BuyCanadianInsulin, we ship Ozempic pens in cold-chain packaging with a temperature indicator, since unopened pens must stay refrigerated.

Ozempic is now also a daily pill in the U.S. Novo Nordisk announced that the Ozempic pill became available on May 4, 2026, as the new name for oral semaglutide, once sold as Rybelsus. The Ozempic tablets label says to start at 1.5 mg daily for 30 days, then raise to 4 mg and, if needed, 9 mg. Outside the U.S., oral semaglutide is still sold as Rybelsus. Read more about Ozempic in pill form.

4. Age Restrictions

Initially, the FDA cleared Jardiance for treating Type 2 diabetes in adults only. In June 2023, it was again approved, along with diet and exercise, to manage blood sugar in children 10 years and older. This means doctors can now prescribe empagliflozin to children with Type 2 diabetes.

Meanwhile, the Ozempic label says its safety and effectiveness have not been established in children. Currently, it’s only prescribed to adults with sugar control problems.

5. Insurance Coverage and Cost

Regarding Jardiance vs. Ozempic cost, the latter is generally more expensive. Fortunately, there are ways to save on drug prices, such as buying prescriptions in Canada.

Here’s a table with the current prices at BuyCanadianInsulin.

Prices as of September 2026. See the product pages for current prices.

If you have insurance, your plan decides what you pay, so check its drug list first. For people with Medicare, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) set a negotiated Part D price of $197 for a 30-day supply of Jardiance, effective January 1, 2026 (price as of September 2026). CMS also negotiated a Medicare price for Ozempic that starts January 1, 2027.

If you don’t have insurance, manufacturer savings and patient assistance programs may help, but they often have eligibility rules. Ordering from a Canadian pharmacy is another option. At BuyCanadianInsulin, we require a valid prescription for both medicines, and orders are fulfilled through licensed Canadian pharmacy partners.

6. Side Effects

Jardiance causes genitourinary adverse reactions that include urinary tract infections and genital yeast infections, which are more common in women. It also makes you urinate more often.

Meanwhile, Ozempic causes gastrointestinal side effects that include the following:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Constipation
• Diarrhea

According to the FDA labels for both drugs, these side effects can vary from mild to moderate, depending on the body’s response. With Ozempic, stomach side effects tend to show up most while the dose is being raised. Some side effects can be serious. See the drug warnings below.

7. Jardiance vs. Ozempic Weight Loss Results Comparison

Does Jardiance cause weight loss? Yes, a small amount. In the studies behind its FDA approval, people taking Jardiance lost a little weight compared with placebo. Jardiance is not approved as a weight loss drug.

Ozempic is also approved for Type 2 diabetes, not weight loss. Wegovy, which also contains semaglutide, is the version the FDA has approved for weight management, according to the Wegovy label. See our Ozempic vs. Wegovy guide.

So, which is better for weight loss, Jardiance or Ozempic? No study has compared the Ozempic injection with Jardiance head-to-head. A head-to-head study in Diabetes Care compared oral semaglutide, the medicine now sold as the Ozempic pill, with empagliflozin, the active ingredient in Jardiance. After 26 weeks, weight loss was similar. An indirect comparison in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism suggests weekly semaglutide injections lead to more weight loss. Overall, Ozempic tends to be more effective at managing overweight and obesity, but results vary.

Ozempic acts on a gut hormone that affects digestion and, for many people, hunger. Jardiance forces the kidneys to flush out excess sugar, which doesn’t directly impact hunger or fullness.

8. Jardiance vs. Ozempic for Lowering Blood Sugar Levels

HbA1c, also called A1C, is a blood test that shows your average blood sugar over the past two to three months. In studies, both Jardiance and Ozempic lowered A1C in adults with Type 2 diabetes.

In the Diabetes Care study, oral semaglutide lowered A1C more than empagliflozin. Higher doses of the Ozempic injection can lower it further. Meanwhile, Jardiance’s blood sugar effect weakens as kidney function declines, and its label says it isn’t recommended for blood sugar control in severe kidney disease.

9. Drug Interactions

It’s essential to remember that Jardiance and Ozempic can interact with other drugs.

Drug interactions in Jardiance include the following:

• Diuretics: Taking Jardiance with diuretics can make you lose more fluids.
• Insulin or sulfonylureas: Using Jardiance with insulin or sulfonylurea medications can increase the risk of low blood sugar or hypoglycemia.
• Urine Glucose Tests: Since Jardiance makes you flush out sugar through the urine, urine sugar tests will show sugar even if your blood sugar level is normal, so they can’t track your blood sugar.
• 1,5-anhydroglucitol (1,5-AG) assay: Jardiance interferes with this blood test, making it unreliable for tracking blood sugar.

Ozempic can interact with the following drugs:

• Insulin or sulfonylureas: Combining Ozempic with these medications can elevate the risk of severe hypoglycemia.
• Oral medications: Ozempic slows down gastric emptying, which may affect how oral medications are absorbed.

Your doctor will inform you what medications to avoid when taking Jardiance or Ozempic. Remember to follow them.

10. Drug Warnings

Jardiance and Ozempic may potentially cause severe adverse reactions. That’s why these drugs are not suitable for everyone.

The Jardiance label warns about the following severe side effects:

• Ketoacidosis
• Volume depletion (dehydration)
• Urosepsis and pyelonephritis
• Hypoglycemia
• Necrotizing fasciitis of the perineum
• Genital mycotic infections
• Lower limb amputation (check your feet regularly)
• Hypersensitivity reactions

Below are some possible serious side effects listed on the Ozempic label:

• Risk of thyroid C-cell tumors (boxed warning)
• Pancreatitis
• Diabetic retinopathy complications
• Hypoglycemia
• Acute kidney injury
• Severe stomach and bowel problems
• Hypersensitivity reactions
• Acute gallbladder disease
• Aspiration during anesthesia or deep sedation (tell your care team before any surgery)

Your healthcare provider will also discuss these potential major health downsides before beginning treatment.

Can You Take Jardiance and Ozempic Together?

Often, yes. Doctors sometimes prescribe Jardiance (empagliflozin) and Ozempic together because they work in different ways and both can help protect the heart and kidneys. The American Diabetes Association Standards of Care in Diabetes 2026 list a GLP-1 drug and/or an SGLT2 inhibitor for people with Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Neither drug’s FDA label lists the other as an interaction.

Your doctor will decide if taking both is right for you. Keep these in mind:

• Low blood sugar: The risk goes up if you also take insulin or a sulfonylurea. Your doctor may lower those doses.
• Dehydration: Jardiance makes you urinate more, and Ozempic can cause vomiting or diarrhea. Tell your doctor if you can’t keep fluids down.
• Weight loss: Neither medicine is approved for weight loss, so ask your doctor before combining them for that reason.

Jardiance vs. Ozempic: Which Is Better for Weight Loss and Diabetes?

Ozempic is generally more effective than Jardiance for lowering blood sugar and weight. The main reason is the way semaglutide works in the body, with a broader influence on digestion and, for many people, hunger.

While Ozempic may appear more effective overall, how your body responds to the medication will ultimately determine what is best for you. Ozempic tends to cause more stomach side effects and is more expensive. Jardiance is approved for heart failure, which Ozempic is not, and it is a once-daily tablet with no injection.

Your doctor will evaluate your specific health goals and conditions before making a recommendation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diabetes Meal Planning. May 15, 2024. View source
2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Trans Fat. April 30, 2024. View source
3. American Diabetes Association, Diabetes Care. Fried Foods, Gut Microbiota, and Glucose Metabolism. September 2021. View source
4. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central. Accessed October 2026. View source
5. Current Diabetes Reports. The Role of Dietary Protein and Fat in Glycaemic Control in Type 1 Diabetes: Implications for Intensive Diabetes Management. July 2015. View source

This article was first published on September 9, 2025, and was last updated in October 2026.

Original Publish Date: 2/27/2024 – Updated 9/23/2026