Invokana vs Jardiance: Canagliflozin vs Empagliflozin
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[Diabetes · Comparison]

Invokana vs Jardiance: how do the two SGLT2 tablets differ?

Approved uses · Dosing · Heart trials · Amputation data

Short answer: Invokana (canagliflozin) and Jardiance (empagliflozin) are both once-daily SGLT2 tablets, but only Jardiance is also approved for heart failure and for chronic kidney disease without diabetes.12 Each lowered major heart events by a similar hazard ratio (0.86) in its own outcome trial; those trials were not head to head.12

How do Invokana and Jardiance compare side by side?

From the US Invokana and Jardiance labels.
Invokana (canagliflozin)Jardiance (empagliflozin)
Approved forBlood sugar in type 2 diabetes from age 10; heart events in type 2 diabetes with heart disease; kidney and heart risks in type 2 diabetes with kidney disease1Heart failure; chronic kidney disease; cardiovascular death in type 2 diabetes with heart disease; blood sugar in type 2 diabetes from age 102
Label dose100 mg once a day before the first meal; up to 300 mg for blood sugar110 mg once a day in the morning; up to 25 mg for blood sugar2
Kidney limitsMax 100 mg when eGFR is 30 to under 60; not started under 301Not for blood sugar control when eGFR is under 302
Half-life10.6 hours (100 mg) to 13.1 hours (300 mg)1About 12.4 hours2
Time to peak1 to 2 hours1About 1.5 hours2
Heart outcome trial (vs placebo)CANVAS program: major heart events hazard ratio 0.861EMPA-REG OUTCOME: major heart events hazard ratio 0.86; cardiovascular death 0.622
Lower-limb amputationLabel warning: CANVAS 5.9 vs 2.8 and CANVAS-R 7.5 vs 4.2 per 1,000 patient-years1Across four outcome trials: 5.0 vs 4.3 per 1,000 patient-years2
Most common side effects (5% or more)Female genital yeast infections, urinary tract infections, more urination1Urinary tract infections, female genital yeast infections2

Reviewed . Half-life figures are shown only where the value Dose Track uses agrees with the cited source.

Why do the approved uses differ?

Each drug's uses come from the outcome trials its maker ran. Jardiance was tested in people with heart failure and in people with chronic kidney disease, with or without diabetes, so it carries those uses.2 Invokana's heart and kidney uses are limited to adults with type 2 diabetes.1

What did the heart trials show?

Both drugs were tested against placebo, not against each other. In the pooled CANVAS and CANVAS-R trials, canagliflozin lowered the risk of a first heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death with a hazard ratio of 0.86.1 In EMPA-REG OUTCOME, empagliflozin's hazard ratio for the same combined outcome was 0.86, driven by fewer cardiovascular deaths (hazard ratio 0.62).2

The trials enrolled different people and ran for different lengths of time, so the matching 0.86 figures are not a head-to-head comparison. We found no randomized trial comparing the two drugs directly on outcomes.

What warnings stand out?

  • Amputation: the Invokana label carries a warning based on higher amputation rates in CANVAS and CANVAS-R, mostly of toes and the middle of the foot.1 The Jardiance label reports 5.0 vs 4.3 events per 1,000 patient-years across four trials (hazard ratio 1.05).2
  • Both: ketoacidosis, dehydration and genital and urinary infections. Both labels say to stop the drug at least 3 days before surgery or long fasting if possible.12

More detail: Invokana side effects, Jardiance side effects, the Invokana and Jardiance dosing schedules, Jardiance vs Farxiga: how do the two SGLT2 tablets compare?, and the Canagliflozin and Empagliflozin guides.

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Frequently asked questions

Are Invokana and Jardiance the same type of drug?+
Yes. Both are SGLT2 inhibitors taken once a day that make the kidneys pass more sugar into the urine.12
Which is approved for heart failure?+
Jardiance is approved to lower cardiovascular death and hospital stays in adults with heart failure.2 Invokana's heart uses are for adults with type 2 diabetes.1
Does Invokana have an amputation warning?+
Yes. In CANVAS, amputations were 5.9 vs 2.8 per 1,000 patient-years on canagliflozin vs placebo, and 7.5 vs 4.2 in CANVAS-R.1
Have they been compared head to head?+
Not in an outcome trial we could find. Each was tested against placebo in separate trials.12
Can I track Invokana or Jardiance in Dose Track?+
Yes. Log the daily tablet with reminders next to your other diabetes medicines.

Sources

  1. Invokana (canagliflozin) tablets prescribing information, sections 1, 2, 5, 6.1, 12.3 and 14. DailyMed, version 32 (June 2026).
  2. Jardiance (empagliflozin) tablets prescribing information, sections 1, 2, 3, 6.1, 8.6, 12.3 and 14. DailyMed, version of January 2026.

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