Canagliflozin: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Canagliflozin is a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor sold in the U.S. under 2 brand and generic names, for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitor
- Treats
- Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
- Available as
- Tablet
- Sold as
- 2 products — Invokana and Canagliflozin
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
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How canagliflozin is dosed
From the FDA label for Invokana (application NDA204042). Other canagliflozin products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Assess renal function before initiating and as clinically indicated. Assess volume status and correct volume depletion before initiating ( 2.1 ). • The recommended starting dosage in adults and pediatric patients aged 10 years and older with type 2 diabetes mellitus is 100 mg orally once daily, taken before the first meal of the day to improve glycemic control. The dosage can be increased to 300 mg once daily in patients tolerating 100 mg once daily who have an eGFR of 60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 or greater and require additional glycemic control ( 2.2 ). • For all other indications in adults, the recommended dosage of INVOKANA is 100 mg orally once daily ( 2.2 ). • Dosage adjustments for patients with renal impairment may be required ( 2.3 ). • See full prescribing information for INVOKANA dosage modifications due to drug interactions ( 2.4 ). • Withhold INVOKANA at least 3 days, if possible, prior to surgery or procedures associated with prolonged fasting ( 2.5 ). 2.1 Prior to Initiation of INVOKANA Assess renal function before initiating INVOKANA and as clinically indicated [see Dosage and Administration (2.3) and Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ] . In patients with volume depletion, correct this condition before initiating INVOKANA [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3) and Use in Specific Populations (8.5 , 8.6) ] . 2.2 Recommended Dosage and Administration Recommended Dosage for…
Canagliflozin side effects
The following important adverse reactions are described below and elsewhere in the labeling: • Diabetic Ketoacidosis in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes and Other Ketoacidosis [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] • Lower Limb Amputation [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] • Volume Depletion [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ] • Urosepsis and Pyelonephritis [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4) ] • Hypoglycemia with Concomitant Use with Insulin or Insulin Secretagogues [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5) ] • Necrotizing Fasciitis of the Perineum (Fournier's gangrene) [see Warnings and Precautions (5.6) ] • Genital Mycotic Infections [see Warnings and Precautions (5.7) ] • Hypersensitivity Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions (5.8) ] • Bone Fracture [see Warnings and Precautions (5.9) ] Most common adverse reactions (5% or greater incidence): female genital mycotic infections, urinary tract infection, and increased urination ( 6.1 ). To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. at 1-800-526-7736 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Clinical Studies Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to the rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in clinical…
Who shouldn’t take canagliflozin
INVOKANA is contraindicated in patients with a serious hypersensitivity reaction to INVOKANA, such as anaphylaxis or angioedema [see Warnings and Precautions (5.8) and Adverse Reactions (6.1 , 6.2) ] . • Serious hypersensitivity reaction to INVOKANA ( 4 )
Canagliflozin drug interactions
Table 7: Clinically Significant Drug Interactions with INVOKANA UGT Enzyme Inducers Clinical Impact: UGT enzyme inducers decrease canagliflozin exposure which may reduce the effectiveness of INVOKANA. Intervention: For patients with eGFR 60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 or greater, if an inducer of UGTs is administered with INVOKANA, increase the dosage to 200 mg daily in patients currently tolerating INVOKANA 100 mg daily. The total daily dosage may be increased to 300 mg daily in patients currently tolerating INVOKANA 200 mg daily who require additional glycemic control. For patients with eGFR less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 , if an inducer of UGTs is administered with INVOKANA, increase the dosage to 200 mg daily in patients currently tolerating INVOKANA 100 mg daily. Consider adding another antihyperglycemic agent in patients who require additional glycemic control [see Dosage and Administration (2.3) and Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] . Examples: Rifampin, phenytoin, phenobarbital, ritonavir Insulin or Insulin Secretagogues Clinical Impact: The risk of hypoglycemia is increased when INVOKANA is used concomitantly with insulin secretagogues (e.g., sulfonylurea) or insulin. Intervention: Concomitant use may require a lower dosage of the insulin secretagogue or insulin to reduce the risk of hypoglycemia. Digoxin Clinical Impact: Canagliflozin increases digoxin exposure [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] . Intervention: Monitor patients taking INVOKANA with concomitant digoxin for a need to adjust the dosage of digoxin. Lithium Clinical Impact: Concomitant use of an SGLT2 inhibitor with lithium may decrease serum lithium concentrations. Intervention: Monitor serum lithium concentration more frequently during INVOKANA initiation and dosage changes. Drug/Laboratory Test Interference Positive Urine Glucose Test Clinical Impact: SGLT2 inhibitors increase urinary glucose excretion which will lead to positive urine glucose tests. Intervention: Monitoring glycemic control with urine glucose tests is not recommended in patients taking SGLT2 inhibitors. Use alternative methods to monitor glycemic control. Interference with 1,5-anhydroglucitol (1,5-AG) Assay Clinical Impact: Measurements of 1,5-AG are unreliable in assessing glycemic control in patients taking SGLT2 inhibitors. Intervention: Monitoring glycemic control with 1,5-AG assay is not recommended in patients taking SGLT2 inhibitors. Use alternative methods to monitor glycemic control. See full prescribing information for information on drug interactions and interference of INVOKANA with laboratory tests ( 7 ).
Every canagliflozin product we track (2)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Generic? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 70/100 | Prescription | Tablet | No data | — | View → | |
| 2 | 68/100 | Prescription | Tablet | No data | — | View → |
What canagliflozin pills look like
Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.
Combination products containing canagliflozin
A combination is a different drug — different dosing, different warnings. It is listed here so you can find it, not so you can substitute it.
How long canagliflozin keeps
No canagliflozin label we read sets a separate limit for after opening, but they do specify how it must be stored — and the stability behind any date assumes those conditions.
Does canagliflozin expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labelsCanagliflozin and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for canagliflozin: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadNo information is available on the clinical use of canagliflozin during breastfeeding. Canagliflozin is 99% protein bound in plasma, so it is unlikely to pass into breastmilk in clinically important amounts. The manufacturer does not recommend canagliflozin during breastfeeding because of a theoretical risk to the infant's developing kidney. An alternate drug may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised May 15, 2026. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What people report to the FDA about canagliflozin
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 3,342 reports naming canagliflozin, and the FDA flagged 93% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- diabetic ketoacidosis374 reports
- acute kidney injury178 reports
- nausea173 reports
- asthma169 reports
- hyperglycaemia145 reports
- diarrhoea143 reports
- dyspnoea132 reports
- type 2 diabetes mellitus129 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean canagliflozin caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved August 25, 2026.
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Frequently asked questions
What is canagliflozin?
INVOKANA ® (canagliflozin) contains canagliflozin, an inhibitor of SGLT2, the transporter responsible for reabsorbing the majority of glucose filtered by the kidney.
What kind of drug is canagliflozin?
The FDA classifies canagliflozin as a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
Can you take canagliflozin with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run canagliflozin against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is canagliflozin sold under?
We track 2 canagliflozin-containing products in the U.S.: Invokana and Canagliflozin. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does canagliflozin come in?
Across the brands we track, canagliflozin is currently marketed as tablet, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic canagliflozin?
Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic canagliflozin product alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Canagliflozin: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/canagliflozin
- MLA
- “Canagliflozin: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/canagliflozin.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for canagliflozin on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.