Sitagliptin (Januvia): Half-Life, Label and Tracking
App Library Tools Pricing Download
[Prescription · Compound guide]

Sitagliptin: half-life, strengths and approval status

Tablet strengths · Approval status · Half-life ~12.4 hours

Short answer: Sitagliptin has a half-life of about 12.4 hours. Levels peak about 1 to 4 hours after a dose. People vary, so treat these as estimates.

What is sitagliptin?

Sitagliptin is a DPP-4 inhibitor: it slows the breakdown of the gut hormones GLP-1 and GIP, which the body releases after meals, so they act for longer. It is sold as Januvia, a once-daily tablet for type 2 diabetes. It works on the same hormone system as GLP-1 drugs, but it is not a GLP-1 receptor agonist.

Also known as: Januvia.

Tablet strengths

Januvia comes as 25 mg, 50 mg and 100 mg tablets.

Approval status and how it is used

The FDA Januvia label approves it, with diet and exercise, to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes. It is not used in type 1 diabetes, and it has not been studied in people with a history of pancreatitis. The label dose is 100 mg once a day, with or without food. Because the kidneys clear it, the dose is 50 mg once a day when eGFR is 30 to under 45, and 25 mg once a day when eGFR is under 30 or on dialysis; the label says to check kidney function before starting and from time to time after.

The label warns of acute pancreatitis (including fatal cases), heart failure seen with two other drugs in the same class, acute kidney failure, serious allergic reactions, severe joint pain and bullous pemphigoid (a blistering skin condition). With insulin or a sulfonylurea, low blood sugar was more common than on placebo, and a lower dose of those may be needed. In trials, the side effects seen in at least 5% of people and more often than on placebo were upper respiratory infection, stuffy or runny nose with sore throat (nasopharyngitis) and headache.

Sitagliptin half-life and time to peak

  • Half-lifeabout 12.4 hours
  • Time to peak (Tmax)about 1 to 4 hours

The FDA Januvia label gives an apparent terminal half-life of about 12.4 hours after a 100 mg dose, with peak levels 1 to 4 hours after the dose (median). Absolute bioavailability is about 87%, and about 79% of a dose leaves the body unchanged in the urine, which is why the dose is lowered when kidney function is reduced.

Numbers shown are taken from the source above. Half-life varies from person to person.

How to track sitagliptin in Dose Track

  1. Add sitagliptin as a custom compound. Start typing its name and Dose Track fills in the details from its research library for you to check, and it sits next to everything else you take.
  2. Log each tablet when you take it, including split or fractional tablets, so your history shows exactly what you took and when.
  3. Set reminders on your own schedule, whether that is daily, weekly or every few days.
  4. Your log is stored on your phone and no account is needed. Data only leaves it for features you choose, like AI answers and lab reading.

How Dose Track handles peptides · Reconstitution calculator · Half-life calculator

LinagliptinTradjenta · half-life about 12 hours (effective, for build-up); over 100 hours terminal MetforminGlucophage · half-life about 6.2 hours SemaglutideOzempic, Wegovy · half-life about 7 days EmpagliflozinJardiance · half-life about 12.4 hours

Frequently asked questions

What is the half-life of sitagliptin?+
The FDA Januvia label gives an apparent terminal half-life of about 12.4 hours after a 100 mg dose, with peak levels 1 to 4 hours after the dose (median). Absolute bioavailability is about 87%, and about 79% of a dose leaves the body unchanged in the urine, which is why the dose is lowered when kidney function is reduced.
Is sitagliptin a GLP-1?+
No. Sitagliptin is a DPP-4 inhibitor. It raises the body's own GLP-1 and GIP by slowing the enzyme that breaks them down. GLP-1 drugs such as semaglutide act directly on the GLP-1 receptor.
Why is the Januvia dose lower with kidney disease?+
About 79% of sitagliptin leaves the body unchanged in the urine. The FDA label lowers the dose to 50 mg a day when eGFR is 30 to under 45, and to 25 mg a day when eGFR is under 30 or on dialysis.
Can I track sitagliptin in Dose Track?+
Yes. Sitagliptin is in Dose Track's research library, so when you add it as a custom compound its details are filled in for you to check. You can then log each tablet next to your other compounds, set reminders on your own schedule, and see your history next to your lab results. Your log is stored on your phone and no account is needed. Data only leaves it for features you choose, like AI answers and lab reading.

Sources

  1. Januvia (sitagliptin) tablets prescribing information (Merck), sections 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 12. DailyMed, November 2025.

All compound guides · Reconstitution calculator · Supported medications