Two medicines, side by side
Empagliflozin vs pioglitazone
Empagliflozin and pioglitazone are both labeled for type 2 diabetes. Drugs@FDA records approvals of empagliflozin since 2014 and of pioglitazone since 1999. Pharmacies paid $11.19 per Jardiance 10 mg tablet and $0.0675 per pioglitazone HCl 15 mg tablet (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ and one is a brand and one a generic, so the two prices are not like for like. In FDA's classes, empagliflozin is a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor and pioglitazone a peroxisome proliferator receptor gamma agonist.
Check it at the source: the empagliflozin FDA label on DailyMed (effective January 30, 2026); the pioglitazone FDA label on DailyMed (effective March 28, 2025).
Highlights of the empagliflozin record
Empagliflozin (Jardiance) · label of January 30, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsJARDIANCE is indicated: to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure in adults with heart failure. to reduce the risk of sustained decline in eGFR, end-stage kidney disease, cardiovascular death, and hospitalization in adults with chronic kidney disease at risk of progression. to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus and established cardiovascular disease. as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults and pediatric patients aged 10 years and older with type 2 diabetes mellitus. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- August 1, 2014
- Generic labelers
- none listed
- Pharmacy cost
- $11.19 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 2
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 (Empagliflozin label of January 30, 2026, Pioglitazone label of March 28, 2025); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do empagliflozin and pioglitazone differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, empagliflozin is a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor and pioglitazone a peroxisome proliferator receptor gamma agonist.
How each works, in its label's words: Empagliflozin, “Empagliflozin is an inhibitor of SGLT2, the predominant transporter responsible for reabsorption of glucose from the glomerular filtrate back into the circulation.”; Pioglitazone, “ACTOS is a thiazolidinedione that depends on the presence of insulin for its mechanism of action.”
Only the pioglitazone label carries a boxed warning.
Generics: empagliflozin since 2022; pioglitazone since 2012 (Drugs@FDA).
| Empagliflozin | Pioglitazone | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Heart failure, Type 2 diabetes, Chronic kidney disease | 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) | Empagliflozin is an inhibitor of SGLT2, the predominant transporter responsible for reabsorption of glucose from the glomerular filtrate back into the circulation. | ACTOS is a thiazolidinedione that depends on the presence of insulin for its mechanism of action. |
| Half-life (label) | n/a | 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) | August 1, 2014 | July 15, 1999 |
| First generic approved | August 3, 2022 | August 17, 2012 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | none listed | 22 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $11.19 per tablet (Jardiance 10 mg tablet) | $0.0675 per tablet (Pioglitazone HCl 15 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | -44% | -7% |
| Boxed warning | No | Yes |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 2 | 2 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 66,937 | 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)
What next?
- Alternatives to empagliflozin
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions