Two medicines, side by side
Acarbose vs sitagliptin
Acarbose and sitagliptin are both labeled for type 2 diabetes. Drugs@FDA records approvals of acarbose since 1995 and of sitagliptin since 2006. Pharmacies paid $0.274 per acarbose 100 mg tablet and $3.77 per sitagliptin phosphate 100 mg tablet (NADAC, October 7, 2026). In FDA's classes, acarbose is an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor and sitagliptin a dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor.
Check it at the source: the acarbose FDA label on DailyMed (effective July 15, 2026); the sitagliptin FDA label on DailyMed (effective November 14, 2024).
Highlights of the acarbose record
Acarbose (Precose) · label of July 15, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsAcarbose Tablets are indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- September 6, 1995
- Generic labelers
- 6 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.274 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 2
Highlights of the sitagliptin record
Sitagliptin (Januvia) · label of November 14, 2024
Used for
From the label: indicationsJANUVIA ® is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. JANUVIA is a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- October 16, 2006
- Generic labelers
- 4 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $3.77 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 1
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Acarbose label of July 15, 2026, Sitagliptin label of November 14, 2024); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do acarbose and sitagliptin differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, acarbose is an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor and sitagliptin a dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor.
How each works, in its label's words: Acarbose, “Mechanism of Action In contrast to sulfonylureas, Acarbose Tablets do not enhance insulin secretion.”; Sitagliptin, “Sitagliptin is a DPP-4 inhibitor, which is believed to exert its actions in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus by slowing the inactivation of incretin hormones.”
Half-life, in each label's words: Acarbose, “The plasma elimination half-life of acarbose activity is approximately 2 hours in healthy volunteers.”; Sitagliptin, “Following a single oral 100-mg dose to healthy volunteers, mean plasma AUC of sitagliptin was 8.52 μM•hr, C max was 950 …”
Generics: acarbose since 2008; sitagliptin since 2025 (Drugs@FDA).
| Acarbose | Sitagliptin | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Type 2 diabetes | Type 2 diabetes |
| Pharmacologic class | alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitor | Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 Inhibitor |
| How it works (label) | Mechanism of Action In contrast to sulfonylureas, Acarbose Tablets do not enhance insulin secretion. | Sitagliptin is a DPP-4 inhibitor, which is believed to exert its actions in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus by slowing the inactivation of incretin hormones. |
| Half-life (label) | The plasma elimination half-life of acarbose activity is approximately 2 hours in healthy volunteers. | Following a single oral 100-mg dose to healthy volunteers, mean plasma AUC of sitagliptin was 8.52 μM•hr, C max was 950 nM, and apparent terminal half-life (t 1/2 ) was 12.4 hours. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | September 6, 1995 | October 16, 2006 |
| First generic approved | May 7, 2008 | December 29, 2025 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 6 labelers | 4 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.274 per tablet (Acarbose 100 mg tablet) | $3.77 per tablet (Sitagliptin phosphate 100 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | +8% | n/a |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 2 | 1 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 3,847 | 74,197 |
| DEA schedule | none | none |
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages and recalls, FAERS via openFDA (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Alternatives to acarbose
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions