Jardiance vs Mounjaro comes down to a daily pill vs a weekly shot that work in different ways. Jardiance (empagliflozin) is an SGLT2 inhibitor pill that makes your kidneys flush extra sugar in your urine. Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a once-weekly GIP and GLP-1 shot that helps your body release insulin, slows your stomach and cuts appetite.
There is no head-to-head trial of the two. In their own label trials, Mounjaro lowered A1C and weight more than placebo by a larger margin than Jardiance did in its monotherapy study — but the studies used different designs and lengths, so that is not a direct score. Jardiance has FDA-approved uses for heart failure and chronic kidney disease even without diabetes. Mounjaro's heart label is for lowering major heart events in adults with type 2 diabetes at high risk. The two drug classes can also be used together.
The RX Index is the independent GLP-1 decision resource that scores telehealth providers and treatment paths on clinical legitimacy, care quality, transparency, access, and cost, so readers can choose the path that fits their situation.
Jardiance vs Mounjaro at a glance
| Jardiance (empagliflozin) | Mounjaro (tirzepatide) | |
|---|---|---|
| Drug type | SGLT2 inhibitor | GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist |
| How you take it | Pill, once a day in the morning | Shot, once a week |
| Label dose (adults) | 10 mg, up to 25 mg | 2.5 mg to start, up to 15 mg |
| Type 2 diabetes, adults | Yes | Yes |
| Type 2 diabetes, kids | Yes, age 10 and older | Yes, age 10 and older (max 10 mg) |
| Heart failure (with or without diabetes) | Yes | No separate heart-failure indication |
| Chronic kidney disease without diabetes | Yes, adults at risk of progression | No |
| Heart protection in type 2 diabetes | Lowers risk of cardiovascular death if you already have heart disease | Lowers risk of major heart events (heart attack, stroke, cardiovascular death) if you are at high risk |
| FDA-approved for weight loss | No | No (tirzepatide for weight loss is sold as Zepbound) |
| Most common side effects | Urinary tract infections, genital yeast infections | Nausea, diarrhea, decreased appetite, vomiting, constipation, indigestion, belly pain |
| Serious label warnings | Ketoacidosis, dehydration, serious urinary infections, Fournier's gangrene | Boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumors; do not use with MTC or MEN 2 |
| Medicare negotiated price, 30 days | $197, since January 1, 2026 | Not on the 2026 or 2027 CMS negotiated lists |
| Published list / cash path (as of Nov 5, 2026) | Not checked today | List $1,112.16; TrumpRx shows about $499 after stated savings |
Sources for every row are in the sections below.
Which one fits depends on your A1C, your heart and kidney health, your weight goals and what your plan covers. If you're sorting out a weekly GLP-1 path, The RX Index's Find My GLP-1 Path tool is free, takes about 2 minutes and needs no signup.
Does Mounjaro or Jardiance lower A1C more?
No trial has tested Mounjaro against Jardiance directly. Here is what each label's own monotherapy trial showed against placebo — useful context, not a head-to-head score:
| Trial (from the label) | Who was in it | Drug | A1C change vs starting point | Placebo-adjusted A1C drop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jardiance monotherapy, 24 weeks | Adults with type 2 diabetes | Jardiance 10 mg / 25 mg daily | −0.7 / −0.8 points (placebo +0.1) | About 0.7 / 0.9 points |
| SURPASS-1, 40 weeks | Adults with type 2 diabetes | Mounjaro 5 / 10 / 15 mg weekly | −1.8 / −1.7 / −1.7 points (placebo −0.1) | About 1.7 / 1.6 / 1.6 points |
What this means for you:
- Different studies. Durations, populations and methods are not the same, so you cannot subtract one row from the other and call it a winner.
- Mounjaro's diabetes trials also tested it against other active drugs. In SURPASS-2, weekly Mounjaro lowered A1C more than weekly semaglutide 1 mg on metformin. That still is not a Jardiance comparison.
- Many Mounjaro trials allowed an SGLT2 pill in the background. In SURPASS-3, 32% of people were already on an SGLT2 inhibitor; in SURPASS-4, 25% were. That is one reason doctors sometimes use both classes together.
Which causes more weight loss, Jardiance or Mounjaro?
Neither Jardiance nor Mounjaro is FDA-approved for weight loss. Weight change was measured as a secondary result in diabetes trials.
- Jardiance monotherapy (24 weeks): Body weight fell about 2.8% on 10 mg and 3.2% on 25 mg, vs 0.4% on placebo (placebo-adjusted about 2.5% and 2.8%). People started at about 78 kg (about 172 lb).
- Mounjaro SURPASS-1 (40 weeks): People lost about 6.3 kg (about 13.9 lb) on 5 mg, 7.0 kg (about 15.4 lb) on 10 mg and 7.8 kg (about 17.2 lb) on 15 mg, vs about 1.0 kg on placebo. Placebo-adjusted losses were about 5.3 to 6.8 kg (about 11.7 to 15.0 lb).
If weight loss is your main goal, tirzepatide for weight management is sold as Zepbound, not Mounjaro. See also why Mounjaro is not FDA-approved for weight loss and our metformin vs GLP-1 guide.
Heart and kidney: where Jardiance stands out
Both drugs have FDA-approved heart uses, but they cover different people. Jardiance's label includes adults with heart failure and adults with chronic kidney disease, whether or not they have diabetes. Mounjaro's heart use is for adults with type 2 diabetes who are at high risk for major heart events.
| FDA-approved use | Jardiance | Mounjaro |
|---|---|---|
| Lower risk of cardiovascular death and heart-failure hospital stays in adults with heart failure | Yes | No |
| Lower risk of kidney decline, kidney failure, cardiovascular death and hospitalization in adults with chronic kidney disease | Yes | No |
| Lower risk of cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes and established heart disease | Yes | Covered by its broader MACE use below |
| Lower risk of major heart events (cardiovascular death, heart attack or stroke) in adults with type 2 diabetes at high risk | See row above | Yes (SURPASS-CVOT vs dulaglutide was non-inferior; superiority was not established) |
In SURPASS-CVOT, 13,299 adults with type 2 diabetes and heart disease were followed for a median of about 210 weeks. Major heart events happened in 12.1% on Mounjaro vs 13.0% on dulaglutide (Trulicity). The hazard ratio was 0.92 — good enough to say Mounjaro was not worse, not enough to say it was proven better.
Farxiga (dapagliflozin), another SGLT2 pill, has similar heart-failure and kidney uses. For more, see our GLP-1 and kidney disease guide, GLP-1 FDA indications chart and the companion Jardiance vs Ozempic comparison.
If a weekly GLP-1 or dual agonist is on the table and you need help checking what your plan covers, Ro's insurance team can run a free coverage check for select brand-name pens. Ro does not currently offer Mounjaro itself.
Check your GLP-1 coverage with Ro for free (sponsored affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
Can you take Jardiance and Mounjaro together?
Yes, they can be used together when a clinician decides that makes sense. They work in different ways, and Mounjaro's label studied it on top of metformin, sulfonylureas and/or SGLT2 inhibitors in SURPASS-2, SURPASS-3 and SURPASS-4.
Whether that's right for you is your prescriber's call. Your plan may also have its own rules for covering two diabetes drugs at once.
Jardiance vs Mounjaro side effects
They cause different kinds of side effects:
- Jardiance: The most common are urinary tract infections and genital yeast infections. In the pooled adult trials on the label, UTIs occurred in about 9.3% on 10 mg and 7.6% on 25 mg (vs 7.6% on placebo). Female genital yeast infections occurred in about 5.4% on 10 mg and 6.4% on 25 mg (vs 1.5% on placebo). The label also warns about ketoacidosis (a dangerous buildup of acids in the blood), dehydration, serious urinary infections, and a rare but serious infection of the genital area called Fournier's gangrene. Your doctor should check kidney function before you start. The label says to stop it at least 3 days before surgery or long fasting, if possible.
- Mounjaro: Nausea is the most common. In the placebo-controlled adult pool on the label, nausea occurred in 12% on 5 mg, 15% on 10 mg and 18% on 15 mg (vs 4% on placebo). Diarrhea, decreased appetite, vomiting, constipation, indigestion and belly pain were also common. Stomach side effects led more people to stop Mounjaro than placebo.
Mounjaro has a boxed warning, the FDA's most serious kind: in rodents, tirzepatide caused thyroid C-cell tumors, and it isn't known if that happens in people. Do not use Mounjaro if you or a family member has had medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), or if you have Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2). Its label also warns about pancreatitis, gallbladder problems, kidney injury from dehydration, diabetic eye disease complications and severe stomach problems. It is not recommended in severe gastroparesis.
Both can cause low blood sugar when used with insulin or a sulfonylurea. Get medical help right away for severe belly pain, signs of an allergic reaction, or fever with pain or swelling in the genital area. For more on tirzepatide safety, see Is Mounjaro safe?.
Jardiance vs Mounjaro cost
Your cost depends mostly on your coverage. Here's what we could verify on November 5, 2026:
| Price | Jardiance | Mounjaro |
|---|---|---|
| Medicare negotiated price, 30-day supply | $197, effective January 1, 2026 | Not listed for 2026 or 2027 |
| List price CMS used for Jardiance | $573 for 30 days (2023) | — |
| Published list price | Not checked today | $1,112.16 per fill (TrumpRx "Original Price," all listed pen strengths) |
| Cash / self-pay path | Not checked today | TrumpRx shows $613.16 off that list (about $499), eligibility required; savings route through LillyDirect |
| Commercial savings card | Not checked today | Lilly offers a Mounjaro Savings Card for commercially insured patients; government beneficiaries are excluded — see Lilly's terms and our savings card guide |
A Medicare negotiated price is what Medicare and your Part D plan pay for the drug, not your copay. What you pay still depends on your plan's deductible and copay rules. Mounjaro was not on CMS's 2026 or 2027 negotiated-price lists when we checked.
For cash and pharmacy quotes, see Mounjaro cost without insurance, Mounjaro cost with insurance and Mounjaro cost at Costco.
If Mounjaro's cash price is the sticking point and weight loss is also a goal, Ro lists cash prices for Zepbound and other brand-name GLP-1s that it says match LillyDirect, NovoCare and TrumpRx. Ro does not dispense Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes.
See Ro's Zepbound and GLP-1 cash prices (sponsored affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
Which should you ask your doctor about?
Here's how the choice tends to break down. Your doctor decides what's right for you.
| If this sounds like you | What to ask about |
|---|---|
| You want a daily pill, not a shot | Jardiance is a pill; our best GLP-1 pill for diabetes guide covers oral options in the GLP-1 class |
| You need a bigger A1C drop and can take a weekly shot | Mounjaro's label trials show large A1C drops; there is still no head-to-head vs Jardiance |
| You have heart failure or chronic kidney disease | Jardiance has FDA-approved uses for both, with or without diabetes |
| You have type 2 diabetes and high heart risk | Both have heart-related uses; Mounjaro's is a MACE reduction indication from SURPASS-CVOT |
| Weight loss matters most | Neither brand is approved for weight loss; ask about Zepbound if tirzepatide for weight is appropriate |
| You get frequent urinary or yeast infections | Ask whether an SGLT2 pill is a good fit |
| You've had pancreatitis, or MTC or MEN 2 runs in your family | Ask whether a GIP/GLP-1 medicine is safe for you |
| You're already on one and A1C is still high | Ask about adding the other class — Mounjaro was studied with SGLT2 pills in the background |
If you're also weighing other weekly shots, see Trulicity vs Mounjaro, Mounjaro vs Ozempic and our best GLP-1 for diabetes guide.
Find the GLP-1 path that fits you
Let Ro's insurance team check your plan (sponsored affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
What we actually verified
- Read the Jardiance label on DailyMed (revised January 2026) for uses, doses, warnings, side effects and the monotherapy A1C and weight table.
- Read the Mounjaro prescribing information (revised August 2026) for uses, doses, boxed warning, side effects, SURPASS-1 / SURPASS-2 / SURPASS-3 / SURPASS-4 background and SURPASS-CVOT.
- Confirmed Zepbound is the separate tirzepatide brand for weight management on Lilly's Zepbound PI.
- Checked CMS's negotiated Medicare prices for 2026 (Jardiance $197) and confirmed Mounjaro is not on the 2027 negotiated-price PDF.
- Opened TrumpRx's Mounjaro page for the $1,112.16 list price and $613.16 stated savings.
- Opened Ro's Mounjaro and pricing pages (Ro does not offer Mounjaro; coverage check and Zepbound/GLP-1 cash path).
- Did the kilogram-to-pound and TrumpRx savings math ourselves.
All checks were done on November 5, 2026. What we did not do: open Lilly's savings-card or LillyDirect pages end-to-end today (bot protection blocked them), check Jardiance's current list price or savings card, or get quotes from insurers or pharmacies. Confirm costs with your plan or pharmacy before you fill.
Frequently asked questions
Is Jardiance the same as Mounjaro?
No. Jardiance is an SGLT2 inhibitor pill taken once a day. Mounjaro is a GIP and GLP-1 shot taken once a week. Both treat type 2 diabetes, but they work in different ways and have different side effects and label uses.
Is Mounjaro stronger than Jardiance?
There is no head-to-head trial. In separate label monotherapy studies, Mounjaro's placebo-adjusted A1C drop was larger than Jardiance's, over different time frames. Jardiance has heart-failure and kidney uses that Mounjaro does not.
Do you lose more weight on Jardiance or Mounjaro?
In their own diabetes trials, people lost more weight on Mounjaro than on Jardiance, but the studies are not directly comparable. Neither drug is FDA-approved for weight loss under these brand names.
Can you take Jardiance and Mounjaro together?
Yes, if your doctor prescribes both. Mounjaro's label includes trials where many people were already on an SGLT2 inhibitor.
Is Mounjaro approved for weight loss?
No. Mounjaro is approved for type 2 diabetes (and to lower major heart-event risk in high-risk adults with type 2 diabetes). Tirzepatide for weight loss is sold as Zepbound.
How much does Jardiance cost with Medicare?
Medicare's negotiated price for Jardiance is $197 for a 30-day supply, starting January 1, 2026. Your copay depends on your Part D plan. Mounjaro did not have a CMS negotiated price on the 2026 or 2027 lists we checked.
Does Ro prescribe Mounjaro?
Ro's own Mounjaro page says it does not currently offer Mounjaro. It does offer Zepbound (the weight-loss tirzepatide brand) and a free coverage check for select brand-name pens.
Still not sure which GLP-1 path fits you? Take The RX Index's free Find My GLP-1 Path quiz — about 2 minutes, no signup.
Sources
- Jardiance (empagliflozin) label, DailyMed (Boehringer Ingelheim, revised January 2026; checked November 5, 2026)
- Mounjaro prescribing information (PDF) (Eli Lilly, revised August 2026; checked November 5, 2026)
- Zepbound prescribing information (PDF) (Eli Lilly; checked November 5, 2026)
- CMS: negotiated prices for 2026 (PDF) (checked November 5, 2026)
- CMS: negotiated prices for 2026 (newsroom fact sheet) (checked November 5, 2026)
- CMS: negotiated prices for 2027 (PDF) (checked November 5, 2026)
- TrumpRx: Mounjaro pricing (list $1,112.16 and stated savings; checked November 5, 2026)
- Lilly: Mounjaro savings resources (linked for current card terms; page blocked by bot protection on our check November 5, 2026)
- LillyDirect: Mounjaro (linked for self-pay path; page blocked by bot protection on our check November 5, 2026)
- Ro: Mounjaro page (checked November 5, 2026)
- Ro: weight-loss pricing (checked November 5, 2026)