Is Empagliflozin a GLP-1? (October 2026)

01 · The core answer

Is empagliflozin a GLP-1 medicine? No, it is an SGLT2 inhibitor

Empagliflozin belongs to the SGLT2 inhibitor class, short for sodium-glucose co-transporter. It is taken as a tablet once daily, usually under the brand name Jardiance. A GLP-1 receptor agonist is a different class. It copies or activates a natural gut hormone, and in the UK these medicines are mostly given as injections.

The confusion is understandable. Both classes appear in diabetes treatment pathways, both are talked about in connection with weight, and both are often mentioned together in news stories and trial papers. Sharing a clinic does not mean sharing a mechanism.

How the two classes differ at a glance

Trial results for different medicines come from different studies and should never be set side by side as if they were a direct comparison.

02 · What to do with this

What this means if you are deciding on treatment

If you take empagliflozin for diabetes or a heart or kidney condition, it is not a substitute for a GLP-1 medicine, and a GLP-1 medicine is not a substitute for it. They answer different clinical questions, and your prescriber chooses between them, or uses both, based on your health.

If your goal is weight management, the relevant question is whether you meet the criteria for a licensed weight-management medicine. Mounjaro is licensed for weight management in adults, used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.¹ If you are already on empagliflozin, read our guide on taking empagliflozin alongside Mounjaro and speak to your prescriber before changing anything.

When you are ready to look at treatment, you can browse our weight loss clinic overview. Mounjaro is a prescription-only medicine, supplied only after an online consultation reviewed by a GPhC-registered prescriber.

Related guides: Glp 1 kvapky uzivanie and Is glp 1 a con.

03 · What empagliflozin is

What class of drug is empagliflozin?

Empagliflozin is an SGLT2 inhibitor, and Jardiance is its best-known brand name. It is taken by mouth, normally once a day, and is prescribed for conditions that your prescriber will have explained to you.

The medicine works in the kidneys. Normally the kidneys pull glucose back into the bloodstream. An SGLT2 inhibitor blocks part of that process, so some excess sugar leaves the body in the urine. That is a completely different route from the gut-hormone signalling used by GLP-1 medicines.

Because the effect happens in the kidney rather than in the brain's appetite pathways or the stomach, empagliflozin does not work by making you feel fuller. This is the main practical difference you would notice between the classes. A GLP-1 medicine acts on hunger and fullness. An SGLT2 inhibitor does not.

04 · How GLP-1 medicines work

How GLP-1 medicines work

A GLP-1 receptor agonist activates the receptor for glucagon-like peptide-1, a natural gut hormone. Semaglutide, found in Wegovy and Ozempic, is a single-action example. Liraglutide is another, supplied at a concentration of 6mg/ml and given as a daily injection, unlike once-weekly Mounjaro and Wegovy.

Mounjaro goes a step further. Tirzepatide is the first treatment of its kind to activate two natural gut-hormone receptors at once: GIP and GLP-1. Together these help regulate appetite, slow how quickly the stomach empties, and improve the way the body responds to insulin. In practice, most people feel fuller sooner and less hungry between meals, which supports a reduced-calorie diet.¹

That dual action is what distinguishes Mounjaro from single-action GLP-1 medicines such as semaglutide.¹ For a deeper look at the underlying biology, see our explainer on GLP-1 physiology.

So is Mounjaro an SGLT2 inhibitor? No. Mounjaro is a GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist. It does not act on the kidney glucose transporter at all.

05 · Weight loss comparison

Does empagliflozin cause weight loss?

Empagliflozin is not licensed or prescribed as a weight-management medicine.

The licensed weight-management options include Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Wegovy (semaglutide 2.4mg). In the SURMOUNT-1 trial of 2,539 adults, people taking tirzepatide alongside diet and exercise lost on average 15% of their body weight on 5mg, 19.5% on 10mg and 20.9% on 15mg over 72 weeks, compared with 3.1% with lifestyle changes alone.² These are trial averages. Individual results vary, and treatment works alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, not instead of them.²

As a worked example only: for someone starting at 100 kg, 20.9% is about 21 kg. That is straight arithmetic on a trial average, not a prediction for you.

So when people ask which is better for weight loss, GLP-1 or SGLT2, the question compares a licensed weight-management class with a class that is not used for that purpose. They are not interchangeable, and the choice is clinical rather than a preference.

06 · Speed of weight loss

How rapid is weight loss on Mounjaro?

Trial results are reported as averages across a whole study period, and the individual path is uneven.

With Mounjaro, treatment starts on a low dose and steps up gradually. The SURMOUNT-1 figures were measured over 72 weeks, so they describe a long course, not a quick result.²

If you were told it would produce rapid weight loss, treat that with caution and ask your prescriber what the evidence actually shows for your condition.

On the question of the fastest GLP-1, claims that rank one product as fastest usually rely on comparing numbers from different trials, which is not a fair test. Choose on suitability, licensing and your prescriber's advice rather than on a speed promise.

07 · Safety and side effects

Safety, side effects and which is safer

Neither Jardiance nor Ozempic is simply "safer". Ozempic is semaglutide licensed for type 2 diabetes only; it is not a UK weight-loss medicine. They are different medicines with different side-effect profiles, used for different reasons, and safety depends on your own health, other medicines and history. A prescriber who knows your records is the right person to weigh that up.

For empagliflozin, including long-term effects, the reliable source is the patient information leaflet and your prescriber. If you notice a new symptom on any medicine, speak to your prescriber and report it through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.¹⁹

For Mounjaro, your prescriber reviews the side effects, warnings and interactions with you during the consultation and at follow-up. Most side effects are digestive: the most common, affecting more than 1 in 10 people, are nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, constipation and abdominal discomfort. Our team provides ongoing monthly reviews, dose-titration and side-effect support for customers on treatment.

Do not stop a prescribed diabetes or heart medicine because you have read that another class is better for weight. That decision should always be made with the clinician who prescribed it.

08 · Related GLP-1 questions

Other drugs people mistake for GLP-1 medicines

Empagliflozin is not the only medicine that gets filed under "GLP-1" by mistake. Pramlintide, for instance, is a separate hormone-analogue story, covered in our piece on whether pramlintide is a GLP-1. The pattern is the same: a medicine used in diabetes care, with an effect on appetite or glucose, gets lumped in with the better-known class.

A simple test helps. Ask what receptor the medicine acts on and how it is given. A GLP-1 medicine activates the GLP-1 receptor. A GIP and GLP-1 medicine like tirzepatide activates both. An SGLT2 inhibitor blocks a kidney transporter. If the answer is none of those, it is not a GLP-1 medicine, however often it appears in the same article.

09 · Serious side effects

Serious side effects: when to get help straight away

Serious side effects are uncommon but need urgent attention. Seek immediate medical help for: severe, persistent stomach pain that may spread to your back, with or without vomiting (possible pancreatitis); pain in the upper right abdomen, fever or yellowing of skin/eyes (possible gallbladder problems); or signs of a severe allergic reaction such as swelling of the face or throat and difficulty breathing. If you take insulin or a sulfonylurea alongside Mounjaro, watch for low blood sugar (shakiness, sweating, confusion) — your prescriber may need to adjust those medicines.¹

10 · NHS and private access

Getting a GLP-1 medicine: NHS and private routes

If you are looking at a GLP-1 based medicine for weight management, Mounjaro is available on the NHS, but access is being phased in over several years. NICE recommends it for adults with a BMI of at least 35 plus at least one weight-related condition, and the NHS primary-care rollout began in June 2025 with the highest-need groups first (initially BMI 40+ with four or more qualifying conditions).⁴⁶ Full rollout is expected to take years, which is why many people who meet the licensed criteria choose regulated private treatment rather than waiting.

Empagliflozin, by contrast, is a medicine your GP or specialist prescribes for its own indications. You would not normally ask for it as a weight-loss route.

If you choose to go private, our process is straightforward. You complete a free online consultation with a short health questionnaire, no charge and no obligation. Orders are dispensed by our registered pharmacy, with same-day dispatch when ordered by 3pm and free next-day tracked delivery in discreet, temperature-controlled packaging.