Dr. Ahmed
Mounjaro vs Jardiance compares the efficacy and safety of the two FDA-approved diabetes medications. Mounjaro is considered the most potent diabetes drug among all the currently available drugs.
On the other hand, Jardiance, although less potent than Mounjaro, has greater cardiovascular and renal benefits compared to Mounjaro.
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Mounjaro Vs Jardiance: General Comparisons:
Mounjaro is an injectable medicine that is administered once a week. It is best for people who have the habit of skipping their medicines.
In addition, the once-weekly administration is associated with better compliance in people who have memory problems and those who are on multiple medications.
Jardiance is one of the potent SGLT2 inhibitors. However, compared to Mounjaro, it is much less potent than Mounjaro in terms of its A1C-lowering effects.
The ADA 2023 guidelines recommendations have labeled Jardiance as a drug of “Intermediate potency” while Mounjaro is the “most potent” diabetes medicine.
Here are some basic differences between Mounjaro and Jardiance:
Parameter | Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) | Jardiance (Empagliflozin) |
| Mechanism of Action | GLP-1, GIP, Glucagon | SGLT2 Inhibitor |
| Indication | Type 2 diabetes | Type 2 diabetes |
| Route of Administration | Subcutaneous injection | Oral |
| Bioavailability | Unknown | 80% |
| Half-life | 3-4 days | 10.5-13 hours |
| Peak plasma concentration | 2-3 days | 1.5 hours |
| Time to reach steady state | 12-16 weeks | 2-4 weeks |
| Metabolism | Proteolytic degradation, renal and hepatic | Glucuronidation and oxidation, predominantly in the liver |
| Excretion | Renal, fecal | Renal |
| Dosage | Weekly | Once daily |
| Side Effects |
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| Pharmacodynamics |
| Blocks glucose reabsorption in the kidney resulting in increased glucose excretion in urine |
| Contraindications |
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| Drug Interactions | Unknown, may affect other drugs that rely on renal or hepatic clearance | Rifampin, phenytoin, ritonavir, and other CYP450 inducers or inhibitors may affect empagliflozin levels |
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Mounjaro Vs Jardiance for Diabetes and Weight Loss:
Mounjaro and Jardiance are both drugs used to treat Type 2 Diabetes. However, both these drugs are also associated with significant weight loss.
Mounjaro is a dual GLP-1 and GIP analog. In clinical trials, Mounjaro has proved superior over the most potent weight loss drug, Wegovy, which is a GLP-1 analog.
However, approval as an anti-obesity drug from the FDA is still pending. Mounjaro is associated with a weight loss of 15 to 20% with a maximum weight loss of up to 22% which is about 6 percentage points greater than Wegovy (16% weight loss).
Mounjaro is also the most potent diabetes medicine. It is associated with a reduction in A1C of more than 2% compared to Jardiance (0.7%.
Here are the effects of Mounjaro Vs Jardiance on A1C and various diabetes parameters:
Parameter | Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) | Jardiance (Empagliflozin) |
| A1C Reduction | 2.37% | 0.7% |
| Fasting Blood Glucose | -91.3 mg/dl | -20.3 mg/dl |
| Prandial Blood Glucose | -142.8 mg/dl | N/A |
| Percent Weight Loss | 22% | 2.8% |
It is clear that Mounjaro is far more effective in lowering A1C, blood glucose, and body weight. It is almost three times more potent than Jardiance.
Having said that, it is not just about numbers, Jardiance has shown to be a promising drug for the treatment of heart failure and kidney disease.
In fact, Jardiance has been approved for the treatment of heart failure in patients who do not have diabetes. It has recently been approved for the treatment of heart failure in patients with a normal ejection fraction (HFpEF).
It is being increasingly used by cardiologists for the treatment of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).
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Mounjaro Vs Jardiance: Effects on the heart, kidneys, and other organs:
Apart from diabetes, most newly approved diabetes medications aim to improve cardiovascular and renal outcomes in patients with diabetes.
It has been made compulsory for all diabetes medications to show non-inferiority to a placebo drug with respect to cardiovascular safety before getting FDA approval.
Both Mounjaro and Jardiance have been shown superiority over a placebo medicine with respect to cardiovascular outcomes.
Here is a table demonstrating the efficacies of Mounjaro and Jardiance in patients with heart failure and other cardiovascular outcomes:
Efficacy Endpoint | Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) | Jardiance (Empagliflozin) |
| Heart Failure | Reduced risk of hospitalization or CV death by 33% | Reduced risk of CV death or hospitalization by 25% |
| Stroke | Reduced risk by 26% | No significant difference vs. placebo |
| Myocardial Infarction | Reduced risk by 29% | Reduced risk by 14% |
| Hospitalization due to Heart Failure | Reduced risk by 30% | Reduced risk by 30% |
| Liver Disease | Has been shown to reduce fatty deposition in patients with NAFLD | Has been shown to improve NAFLD. |
| Renal Disease | No significant difference vs. placebo | Reduced risk of renal outcomes by 39% |
| Death Due to Cardiovascular Causes | Reduced risk by 22% | Reduced risk by 38% |
It is clear from the above table of comparison that both Mounjaro and Jardiance are very effective drugs in reducing cardiovascular mortality.
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Summary:
Jardiance is superior to Mounjaro in patients with kidney disease as it reduces renal outcomes by 39% [Ref].
In addition, Jardiance may be more effective in patients with heart failure. The FDA has already approved Jardiance for patients with a preserved ejection fraction as well as a reduced ejection fraction.
Mounjaro, on the other hand, is a more potent diabetes and weight loss drug. It is far superior to Jardiance in lowering A1C and body weight.
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