Jardiance and Mounjaro: Are They the Same Medicine?

Step 1: Understanding what Jardiance does and why it's prescribed

Jardiance is the brand name for empagliflozin, made by Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly. It belongs to a drug class called SGLT-2 inhibitors, sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors, to give the full name. The kidney normally reabsorbs almost all the glucose that filters through it. SGLT-2 inhibitors block that reabsorption, so excess glucose is passed out in urine instead of re-entering the bloodstream. The result is lower blood-sugar levels without triggering insulin directly.

In the UK, Jardiance is licensed for type 2 diabetes and, separately, for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and for chronic kidney disease in adults. Weight loss can occur as a side effect (glucose excreted carries calories with it), but Jardiance is not licensed for weight management. It is a tablet taken once daily, typically in the morning. Like Mounjaro, it is a prescription-only medicine requiring a clinical assessment before a prescriber can issue one. The NHS medicines information service covers Jardiance separately from the weight-loss medicine pages, reflecting how different these products are in clinical use.

If you have been prescribed Jardiance, it was almost certainly for cardiovascular protection, kidney protection, or blood-sugar control in type 2 diabetes, not primarily to help you lose weight.

Step 2: What Mounjaro is and the conditions it covers

Mounjaro contains tirzepatide, manufactured by Eli Lilly. It activates two gut-hormone receptors simultaneously: GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1). That dual activation slows how quickly the stomach empties, increases the feeling of fullness, and helps regulate blood sugar through insulin pathways. It is the only dual GIP/GLP-1 agonist licensed in the UK.

Mounjaro's UK licence covers two populations: adults with type 2 diabetes (as a glucose-lowering agent), and adults with a BMI of 30 or above (or 27 or above alongside at least one weight-related condition such as high blood pressure or obstructive sleep apnoea) for weight management alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased activity. That second indication is what makes it categorically different from Jardiance: Mounjaro can be prescribed when the primary goal is weight loss, not just diabetes control. You can read a fuller clinical overview on our tirzepatide information page, which also touches on how tirzepatide is being investigated for conditions such as hidradenitis suppurativa.

In the SURMOUNT-1 trial (2,539 adults with obesity, 72 weeks), participants on 15mg tirzepatide lost an average of around 20–21% of their body weight, as published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Jardiance trials report modest weight reduction (typically 2–4 kg) as a secondary finding, not a primary outcome.

Step 3: Comparing the two side by side, shared ground and key differences

Both medicines lower blood sugar in type 2 diabetes, and both have demonstrated cardiovascular benefits in their respective trial programmes. That is roughly where the similarity ends. The side-effect profiles are quite different. Mounjaro's most common effects are gastrointestinal: nausea, loose stools, constipation, indigestion. These tend to be most noticeable at the start of treatment or after a dose increase, usually settling within a week or two. Jardiance's side effects include urinary tract infections, genital yeast infections, and (rarely) a serious condition called diabetic ketoacidosis; gastric effects are far less prominent.

The dosing formats differ completely too. Mounjaro is a once-weekly subcutaneous injection via a pre-filled KwikPen; Jardiance is a once-daily oral tablet. Some people find injections daunting, others find daily tablets easier to forget. Neither is inherently better, it depends on the person and the clinical goal. For more on how Mounjaro fits into the broader landscape of GLP-1 medicines, the GLP-1 and Mounjaro comparison page is worth reading alongside this one, and if you are wondering whether any other products are effectively the same as Mounjaro in terms of active ingredient or mechanism, that question is addressed there too.

NHS England's guidance on weight-management injections covers Mounjaro's eligibility criteria in detail; Jardiance falls outside that guidance entirely, as it is not a weight-loss medicine.

Step 4: Can Jardiance and Mounjaro be taken together?

Clinically, some people with type 2 diabetes are prescribed both medicines at once, an SGLT-2 inhibitor for cardiovascular or renal protection and a GLP-1/dual agonist for blood-sugar control and weight management. These are different drug classes acting on different pathways, so combination use is sometimes appropriate. It is not something to arrange yourself, though. Both are prescription-only medicines, and the decision involves reviewing your full medication list, kidney function, cardiovascular history and diabetes management targets.

If you are currently on Jardiance and wondering whether Mounjaro might also be suitable for weight loss, that is a conversation for your GP or a specialist prescriber. Our clinical team reviews every consultation personally (never an algorithm) and can assess whether Mounjaro is appropriate given your existing medicines and health picture. For those exploring private treatment options, a fuller look at what that involves is on our weight loss overview. And for context on how Mounjaro compares to other tirzepatide-branded products, the tirzepatide and Mounjaro page covers the naming side of things clearly.

Cost is a separate question worth being clear-eyed about too. Mounjaro is a private prescription in the weight-management context for most people; the Mounjaro cost guide explains what drives pricing and what a legitimate private prescription includes. If you'd like to explore whether Mounjaro is clinically right for you, start your free consultation with our prescribers today.