Jardiance vs Farxiga: empagliflozin and dapagliflozin compared
Jardiance (empagliflozin) and Farxiga (dapagliflozin) are SGLT2 inhibitors, prescribed for type 2 diabetes, heart failure and chronic kidney disease. Clinically they are close; a practical difference in 2026 is that generic dapagliflozin was approved in April, while empagliflozin has no generic.
Updated October 15, 2026
At a glance
- How it works
- Jardiance
- Makes the kidneys pass more sugar and salt into the urine
- Farxiga
- The same mechanism
- Approved for
- Jardiance
- Type 2 diabetes, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and lowering cardiovascular death in diabetes with heart disease
- Farxiga
- Type 2 diabetes, heart failure and chronic kidney disease
- How it is taken
- Jardiance
- One tablet a day
- Farxiga
- One tablet a day
- Generic available
- Jardiance
- No
- Farxiga
- Yes, approved in April 2026 for multiple generic makers
- Medicare
- Jardiance
- Medicare-negotiated price since January 2026
- Farxiga
- Medicare-negotiated price since January 2026
Jardiance empagliflozin | Farxiga dapagliflozin | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Makes the kidneys pass more sugar and salt into the urine | The same mechanism |
| Approved for | Type 2 diabetes, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and lowering cardiovascular death in diabetes with heart disease | Type 2 diabetes, heart failure and chronic kidney disease |
| How it is taken | One tablet a day | One tablet a day |
| Generic available | No | Yes, approved in April 2026 for multiple generic makers |
| Medicare | Medicare-negotiated price since January 2026 | Medicare-negotiated price since January 2026 |
Clinical differences are small
Both drugs reduced heart failure hospitalizations and slowed kidney decline in large outcome trials, and guidelines treat them as interchangeable for most people with heart failure or chronic kidney disease. A prescriber may prefer one because a trial matched a person’s condition more closely, but for many patients either is a reasonable choice.
Side effects and precautions
Both cause more genital yeast infections and some urinary infections, can dehydrate, and rarely cause ketoacidosis even with normal blood sugar, so they are paused for about three days before planned surgery and during serious illness. Drink fluids, keep the genital area clean, and seek care for nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain or unusual tiredness.
Generic availability and paying for it
Generic dapagliflozin has been approved since April 2026, so pharmacies can quote their own cash prices for it, while empagliflozin remains brand-only. If you pay cash or are in a deductible, ask your prescriber whether generic dapagliflozin would suit you, then compare quotes from more than one pharmacy, since each sets its own price. With insurance, check your plan’s price for each, since a plan decides which version it covers and on which tier.
Questions for your prescriber
- How will we check my kidney function while I take it?
- Do any of my other diabetes medicines need to change?
- Would generic dapagliflozin work as well for my condition?
- Which does my plan cover, and on which tier?
- When should I pause it, for example before surgery?
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Sources
- FDA, first generic dapagliflozin tablets approved (April 7, 2026)
- Drugs.com, generic Farxiga availability
- CMS, Medicare drug price negotiation
- DailyMed, FDA-approved prescribing information
- MedlinePlus drug information (National Library of Medicine)
Written by the Script Unlock editorial team from the sources above. It is general information, not advice for you or your pet; your prescriber decides which medicine is right.
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.