Are metformin and Jardiance in the same class?

No. Metformin's label describes it as a biguanide; Jardiance is an SGLT2 inhibitor. Different mechanisms, different warnings, different decades.

Which one has a boxed warning?

Metformin, about lactic acidosis. The Jardiance label carries no boxed warning.

Is there a generic Jardiance?

No. The FDA register lists no approved generic application for empagliflozin, while metformin has 67. The pricing table on this page shows what that means in acquisition cost.

Type 2 diabetesTwo labels compared

Jardiance vs Metformin

Metformin and Jardiance sit at opposite ends of the same category: a generic biguanide in use for decades against a brand-only SGLT2 inhibitor whose label reaches into heart failure and kidney disease. Even their strongest warnings are about different risks. This page compares the two documents.

Jardiance

Ingredient: Empagliflozin
Approved for: Type 2 diabetes, heart failure, chronic kidney diseasecovers type 2 diabetes
Supply: Prescription
Boxed warning: None
Pharmacy cost: $11.20 per tablet, capsule or pen, brandwhat pharmacies pay to buy it, not the price at the counter

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.. Label version 31, effective 30 January 2026.

Metformin hydrochloride

Ingredient: Metformin hydrochloride
Approved for: Type 2 diabetescovers type 2 diabetes
Supply: Prescription
Boxed warning: WARNING: LACTIC ACIDOSIS
Pharmacy cost: $0.025 per tablet, capsule or pen, genericwhat pharmacies pay to buy it, not the price at the counter

REMEDYREPACK INC.. Label version 14, effective 19 May 2026.

01From the FDA label

Side by side, straight from the labels

Generated from the two source labels, not typed out by hand, so it cannot drift from what the regulator approved. Rows where both labels say exactly the same thing are marked.

Label section	JardianceEmpagliflozin	Metformin hydrochlorideMetformin hydrochloride
Active ingredient	JardianceEmpagliflozinSGLT2 inhibitor	Metformin hydrochlorideMetformin hydrochlorideBiguanide
Approved for	JardianceType 2 diabetes, heart failure, chronic kidney disease	Metformin hydrochlorideType 2 diabetes
Supplysame in both	JardiancePrescription	Metformin hydrochloridePrescription
What pharmacies payAcquisition cost, not retail	Jardiance$11.20 per tablet, capsule or pen, brand	Metformin hydrochloride$0.025 per tablet, capsule or pen, generic
Boxed warning	JardianceNone	Metformin hydrochlorideWARNING: LACTIC ACIDOSIS
What the FDA approved it for	Jardiance JARDIANCE 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. JARDIANCE is a sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor indicated: To reduce the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure in adults with heart failure. 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. It may increase the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis in these patients. JARDIANCE is not expected to be effective in these populations.	Metformin hydrochloride Metformin hydrochloride tablets is a biguanide indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults and pediatric patients 10 years of age and older with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Forms and strengths	Jardiance JARDIANCE tablets available as: 10 mg pale yellow, round, biconvex and bevel-edged, film-coated tablets debossed with "S 10" on one side and the Boehringer Ingelheim company symbol on the other side. 25 mg pale yellow, oval, biconvex, film-coated tablets debossed with "S 25" on one side and the Boehringer Ingelheim company symbol on the other side. Tablets: 10 mg, 25 mg	Metformin hydrochloride Metformin Hydrochloride Tablets USP, 500 mg: White, biconvex, circular shaped film coated tablets with 'A' debossed on one side and '12' debossed on the other side Metformin hydrochloride tablets: 500 mg
How the label says it is taken	Jardiance Assess renal function before initiating and as clinically indicated. Assess volume status and correct volume depletion before initiating. Recommended dosage is 10 mg orally once daily in the morning, taken with or without food. For additional glycemic control, dosage may be increased to 25 mg orally once daily in patients tolerating JARDIANCE. Withhold JARDIANCE for at least 3 days, if possible, prior to surgery or procedures associated with prolonged fasting.	Metformin hydrochloride Adult Dosage for Metformin Hydrochloride Tablets: Starting dose: 500 mg orally twice a day or 850 mg once a day, with meals Increase the dose in increments of 500 mg weekly or 850 mg every 2 weeks, up to a maximum dose of 2550 mg per day, given in divided doses Doses above 2000 mg may be better tolerated given 3 times a day with meals Increase dosage in increments of 500 mg weekly up to a maximum of 2000 mg per day, given in divided doses twice daily Renal Impairment: Prior to initiation, assess renal function with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) Do not use in patients with eGFR below 30 mL/minute/1.73 m 2
Most common adverse reactions	Jardiance Most common adverse reactions (5% or greater incidence) were urinary tract infections and female genital mycotic infections To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.	Metformin hydrochloride most common adverse reactions (>5.0%) are diarrhea, nausea/vomiting, flatulence, asthenia, indigestion, abdominal discomfort, and headache.
Warnings and precautions	Jardiance Diabetic Ketoacidosis in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and Other Ketoacidosis: Consider ketone monitoring in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and consider ketone monitoring in others at risk for ketoacidosis, as indicated. Assess for ketoacidosis regardless of presenting blood glucose levels and discontinue JARDIANCE if ketoacidosis is suspected. Volume Depletion: Before initiating JARDIANCE, assess volume status and renal function in patients with impaired renal function, elderly patients, or patients on loop diuretics. Monitor for signs and symptoms during therapy. Genitourinary Infections, including Urosepsis, Pyelonephritis, Necrotizing Fasciitis of the Perineum (Fournier's Gangrene), and Genital Mycotic Infections: Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of genitourinary infections and treat promptly, if indicated. Hypoglycemia: Adult patients taking an insulin secretagogue or insulin may have an increased risk of hypoglycemia. In pediatric patients 10 years of age and older, the risk of hypoglycemia was higher regardless of insulin use. Consider lowering the dosage of insulin secretagogue or insulin to reduce the risk of hypoglycemia when initiating JARDIANCE. Lower Limb Amputation: Monitor patients for infections or ulcers of lower limbs, and institute appropriate treatment Hypersensitivity Reactions: Serious hypersensitivity reactions (e.g., angioedema) have occurred with JARDIANCE. If hypersensitivity reactions occur, discontinue JARDIANCE, treat promptly, and monitor until signs and symptoms resolve.	Metformin hydrochloride Lactic Acidosis: See boxed warning. Vitamin B 12 Deficiency: Metformin may lower vitamin B 12 levels. Measure hematological parameters annually and vitamin B 12 at 2 to 3 year intervals and manage any abnormalities. Hypoglycemia with Concomitant Use with Insulin and Insulin Secretagogues: Increased risk of hypoglycemia when used in combination with insulin and/or an insulin secretagogue. Lower dose of insulin or insulin secretagogue may be required
Contraindications	Jardiance JARDIANCE is contraindicated in patients: with a hypersensitivity to empagliflozin or any of the excipients in JARDIANCE, reactions such as angioedema have occurred. Hypersensitivity to empagliflozin or any of the excipients in JARDIANCE.	Metformin hydrochloride Metformin hydrochloride tablets are contraindicated in patients with: Severe renal impairment (eGFR below 30 mL/min/1.73 m 2). Hypersensitivity to metformin. Acute or chronic metabolic acidosis, including diabetic ketoacidosis, with or without coma. Severe renal impairment (eGFR below 30 mL/min/1.73 m 2)
Drug interactions	Jardiance See Table 4 for clinically relevant interactions with JARDIANCE. See full prescribing information for information on drug interactions and interference of JARDIANCE with laboratory tests.	Metformin hydrochloride Table 3 presents clinically significant drug interactions with metformin hydrochloride. Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors may increase risk of lactic acidosis. Consider more frequent monitoring Drugs that reduce metformin clearance (such as ranolazine, vandetanib, dolutegravir, and cimetidine) may increase the accumulation of metformin. Consider the benefits and risks of concomitant use Alcohol can potentiate the effect of metformin on lactate metabolism.
Label version	Jardiance30 January 2026	Metformin hydrochloride19 May 2026

02Written by us

One shared indication, and everything else on one side

Both labels cover improving glycemic control in type 2 diabetes, in adults and pediatric patients aged 10 and older, as an adjunct to diet and exercise. For metformin, that is the whole list. Jardiance adds reducing cardiovascular death in type 2 diabetes with established cardiovascular disease, a heart failure indication, and a chronic kidney disease indication - the last two with or without diabetes.

03Written by us

The strongest warnings are about different risks

Metformin's boxed warning is about lactic acidosis, with the risk factors listed at length in the label. Jardiance carries no boxed warning; its warnings section leads with ketoacidosis, volume depletion and genitourinary infections. Reading the two side by side is a reminder that the regulator's warnings follow the molecule, not the diagnosis.

04Written by us

A generic against a brand

The FDA register lists 67 approved generic applications for metformin hydrochloride and none for empagliflozin. The acquisition costs in the table above put numbers to that difference: metformin is among the least expensive prescription medicines listed, Jardiance is brand-priced.

05Written by us

What this page does not tell you

It does not say which medication a person should start with, whether one should replace the other, or whether they should be combined. Those are treatment decisions for a clinician; the labels do not compare the two molecules, and neither does this page beyond setting the documents side by side.

06Written by us

Common questions

Are metformin and Jardiance in the same class?: No. Metformin's label describes it as a biguanide; Jardiance is an SGLT2 inhibitor. Different mechanisms, different warnings, different decades.
Which one has a boxed warning?: Metformin, about lactic acidosis. The Jardiance label carries no boxed warning.
Is there a generic Jardiance?: No. The FDA register lists no approved generic application for empagliflozin, while metformin has 67. The pricing table on this page shows what that means in acquisition cost.

Sources

Every fact above comes from one of these documents. The date is the effective date of the label version this page was built from.

FDA prescribing information for Jardiance
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.. Label version 31, effective 30 January 2026.
Full label on DailyMed Approval record NDA204629
FDA prescribing information for Metformin hydrochloride
REMEDYREPACK INC.. Label version 14, effective 19 May 2026.
Full label on DailyMed Approval record ANDA077095

Each stripe is one section of the label, each division in a stripe one entry in that section. The red bar marks a boxed warning.

Other comparisons in this category

Page last updated 29 August 2026

Compiled by the HealthyStudy editorial team from FDA source documents. No medical reviewer is credited on this page, because none reviewed it.