Two medicines, side by side
Dapagliflozin vs pioglitazone
Dapagliflozin and pioglitazone are both labeled for type 2 diabetes. Drugs@FDA records approvals of dapagliflozin since 2014 and of pioglitazone since 1999. Pharmacies paid $0.184 per dapagliflozin 10 mg tablet and $0.0675 per pioglitazone HCl 15 mg tablet (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like. In FDA's classes, dapagliflozin is a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor and pioglitazone a peroxisome proliferator receptor gamma agonist.
Check it at the source: the dapagliflozin FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 3, 2026); the pioglitazone FDA label on DailyMed (effective March 28, 2025).
Highlights of the dapagliflozin record
Dapagliflozin (Farxiga) · label of June 3, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsFARXIGA (dapagliflozin) is indicated: • To reduce the risk of sustained eGFR decline, end-stage kidney disease, cardiovascular (CV) death, and hospitalization for heart failure in adults with chronic kidney disease at risk of progression. • To reduce the risk of CV death, hospitalization for heart failure, and urgent heart failure visit in adults with heart failure. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- January 8, 2014
- Generic labelers
- 22 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.184 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 0
Highlights of the pioglitazone record
Pioglitazone (Actos) · label of March 28, 2025
CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE
Thiazolidinediones, including ACTOS ® , cause or exacerbate congestive heart failure in some patients [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ].
After initiation of ACTOS, and after dose increases, monitor patients carefully for signs and symptoms of heart failure (e.g., excessive, rapid weight gain, dyspnea, and/or edema).
Used for
From the label: indicationsMonotherapy and Combination Therapy ACTOS is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus in multiple clinical settings [see Clinical Studies (14) ]. Important Limitations of Use ACTOS exerts its antihyperglycemic effect only in the presence of endogenous insulin. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- July 15, 1999
- Generic labelers
- 22 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.0675 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 2
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Dapagliflozin label of June 3, 2026, Pioglitazone label of March 28, 2025); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do dapagliflozin and pioglitazone differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, dapagliflozin is a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor and pioglitazone a peroxisome proliferator receptor gamma agonist.
How each works, in its label's words: Dapagliflozin, “Dapagliflozin is an inhibitor of SGLT2.”; Pioglitazone, “ACTOS is a thiazolidinedione that depends on the presence of insulin for its mechanism of action.”
Half-life, in each label's words: Dapagliflozin, “The mean plasma terminal half-life (t ½ ) for dapagliflozin is approximately 12.9 hours following a single oral dose of …”; Pioglitazone, “The mean serum half-life (t 1/2 ) of pioglitazone and its metabolites (M-III and M-IV) range from three to seven hours …”
Only the pioglitazone label carries a boxed warning.
Generics: dapagliflozin since 2026; pioglitazone since 2012 (Drugs@FDA).
| Dapagliflozin | Pioglitazone | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Chronic kidney disease, Heart failure, Type 2 diabetes | Type 2 diabetes |
| Pharmacologic class | Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitor | Peroxisome Proliferator Receptor alpha Agonist, Peroxisome Proliferator Receptor gamma Agonist, Thiazolidinedione |
| How it works (label) | Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), expressed in the proximal renal tubules, is responsible for the majority of the reabsorption of filtered glucose from the tubular lumen. Dapagliflozin is an inhibitor of SGLT2. | ACTOS is a thiazolidinedione that depends on the presence of insulin for its mechanism of action. |
| Half-life (label) | The mean plasma terminal half-life (t ½ ) for dapagliflozin is approximately 12.9 hours following a single oral dose of FARXIGA 10 mg. | The mean serum half-life (t 1/2 ) of pioglitazone and its metabolites (M-III and M-IV) range from three to seven hours and 16 to 24 hours, respectively. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | January 8, 2014 | July 15, 1999 |
| First generic approved | April 6, 2026 | August 17, 2012 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 22 labelers | 22 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.184 per tablet (Dapagliflozin 10 mg tablet) | $0.0675 per tablet (Pioglitazone HCl 15 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | -98% | -7% |
| Boxed warning | No | Yes |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 0 | 2 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 56,884 | 44,186 |
| 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)
Do their labels mention each other?
Dapagliflozin label, drug interactionsCoadministered Drug (Dose Regimen) Single dose unless otherwise noted.: Pioglitazone (45 mg); Dapagliflozin (Dose Regimen): 50 mg; Effect on Dapagliflozin Exposure [% Change (90% CI)]: ↔; ↔
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA
What next?
- Alternatives to dapagliflozin
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions