DPP-4 Inhibitors
Saxagliptin
Saxagliptin is a once-daily DPP-4 inhibitor tablet for blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes, alongside diet and exercise. The Onglyza brand is listed as discontinued, so it is filled with generics, as are its combinations with extended-release metformin and with dapagliflozin. Its label warns about heart failure: in a large trial, more people taking it were hospitalized for heart failure than people on placebo.
This page is general information about a medication and how cash prices for it are set. It is not medical advice and does not replace the label, your prescriber or your pharmacist. How we handle medical information
Generic saxagliptin tablets rated equivalent to Onglyza are sold, as are generic tablets of the Kombiglyze XR and Qtern type; the Orange Book lists all three brands as discontinued. Only the 10/5 mg strength of dapagliflozin with saxagliptin has a generic, and Qternmet XR has none.
About Saxagliptin
Saxagliptin slows the breakdown of GLP-1 and GIP, gut hormones released after meals that raise insulin release when blood sugar is high; GLP-1 also lowers glucagon. The label approves it, with diet and exercise, for adults with type 2 diabetes; it is not for type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis, and a trial in children aged 10 to 17 did not show that it works. The dose is 2.5 or 5 mg once a day, with or without food. Kidney function is checked before starting; the dose is 2.5 mg when the eGFR is below 45, including people on hemodialysis, who take it after dialysis, and with a strong CYP3A4/5 inhibitor.
There is no boxed warning. In SAVOR, a large heart-outcomes trial, more people taking saxagliptin than placebo were hospitalized for heart failure, and people with earlier heart failure or kidney impairment had a higher risk on either; prescribers weigh this before starting it in people at higher risk and consider stopping it if heart failure develops. It is stopped promptly if pancreatitis is suspected. Other warnings cover serious allergic reactions (anaphylaxis, angioedema and peeling skin conditions), after which it must not be taken again, severe and disabling joint pain, and bullous pemphigoid, a blistering skin condition. With insulin or a sulfonylurea such as glipizide, low blood sugar is more likely, and those doses may be lowered. Upper respiratory infections, urinary tract infections and headache are the most common side effects.
Tablets are swallowed whole, never cut, crushed or chewed. The Orange Book lists Onglyza, Kombiglyze XR (with extended-release metformin), Qtern (with dapagliflozin) and the three-drug Qternmet XR as discontinued. Generic saxagliptin and its metformin combination have been sold since 2023, and generic dapagliflozin with saxagliptin, in the 10/5 mg strength, since April 2026; Qternmet XR has no generic. Pregnancy data are too limited to judge the risk, and it is not known whether saxagliptin passes into breast milk.
Taking Saxagliptin
- How to take it
- Once a day, with or without food, at about the same time each day. Swallow the tablet whole; do not cut, crush or chew it. If you are on hemodialysis, take it after dialysis.
- If you miss a dose
- Skip the missed dose and take the next one at the usual time. Do not take an extra or double dose to make up for it.
- Storage
- At room temperature in the container it came in, tightly closed, away from heat and moisture and out of reach of children. Use a take-back program rather than flushing it.
- Interactions to know about
- Strong CYP3A4/5 inhibitors, such as ketoconazole, itraconazole, clarithromycin, nefazodone and ritonavir, raise saxagliptin levels, so the dose is kept at 2.5 mg. Insulin and sulfonylureas add to the risk of low blood sugar. Get medical help for swelling of the face, lips or throat, new blisters, or ongoing pain in the upper stomach.
This summarizes the official prescribing information. Your prescriber’s and pharmacist’s instructions, and the leaflet that comes with your medicine, take priority.
Why the cash price for Saxagliptin differs from pharmacy to pharmacy
With every brand discontinued, saxagliptin is filled with a generic from one of a few makers, so quotes differ by each pharmacy’s cost and markup, and it may not be on every flat-price generic list. A pharmacy that rarely fills it may need to order it.
The combination tablets have their own makers, and dapagliflozin with saxagliptin has had a generic only since April 2026, so its stock and quotes vary more. A combination tablet and two separate tablets are priced differently, and switching between them needs a new prescription.
Upload it and licensed pharmacies reply with their own cash price. You pay the pharmacy, not us.
Ways to pay less for Saxagliptin without insurance
- Ask for generic saxagliptin, and make sure the prescription allows substitution rather than naming a brand.
- Ask whether it is on the pharmacy’s flat-price generic list, and compare more than one pharmacy.
- Once your dose is settled, ask for a ninety-day supply.
- If you also take metformin or dapagliflozin, ask for quotes on both the combination tablet and the separate tablets, and ask the prescriber which suits you.
- Upload the prescription to Script Unlock so licensed pharmacies can quote their cash price. You pay the pharmacy directly.
How Script Unlock gets you a cash price for Saxagliptin
Prices on this site come from pharmacies responding to a real prescription. We do not publish estimated, average or "typical" prices, because none of those would be your price.
- 1You upload your prescription
A photo of your Saxagliptin prescription is enough. Nothing is sold on the site; you are asking pharmacies to quote.
- 2Licensed pharmacies respond
Pharmacies that Script Unlock has verified see the request and each can reply with its own cash price for your exact drug, strength and quantity.
- 3You choose and pay the pharmacy
You compare the responses, pick a pharmacy, and pay that pharmacy directly when you collect. Script Unlock never takes a patient payment and never sets the price.
Questions to ask your pharmacist about Saxagliptin
- 1.Is my dose right for my kidney function?
- 2.Do any of my other medicines mean my dose should be limited to 2.5 mg?
- 3.Which heart failure or pancreatitis symptoms mean I should call my prescriber?
- 4.Should my insulin or sulfonylurea dose change to avoid low blood sugar?
Where Saxagliptin fits
Related medications
Sources
Script Unlock is a marketplace that lets licensed pharmacies quote a cash price on your prescription. It does not prescribe, dispense or sell medication, does not process patient payments, and does not give medical advice. Always follow the instructions of your prescriber and pharmacist and read the medication guide supplied with your medicine.