Antihyperglycemic Agents |
Available strengths |
Usual maintenance dose
or usual dosage range |
Approximate
Wholesale cost*/unit |
Alpha Glucosidase Inhibitor |
Acarbose (Glucobay™) |
100 mg
50 mg |
50-100 mg three times a day |
$ 0.41/Tab
$ 0.29/Tab |
Biguanides |
Metformin
(Glucophage®, generic) |
500 mg
850 mg |
500-2000 mg per day in divided doses
850-2550 mg per day in divided doses |
$ 0.05/Tab
$ 0.06/Tab |
Metformin ER
(Glumetza®) |
500 mg
1000 mg |
500-2000 mg per day
500-2000 mg per day |
$ 0.63/Tab
$ 1.27/Tab |
Incretin Agents – DPP-4 Inhibitors |
Alogliptin (Nesina™) |
6.25 mg
12.5 mg
25 mg |
6.25 mg once daily (depending on renal function)
12.5 mg once daily (depending on renal function)
25 mg once daily (depending on renal function) |
$ 2.84/Tab
$ 2.84/Tab
$ 2.84/Tab |
Linagliptin (Trajenta®) |
5 mg |
5 mg once daily |
$ 2.43/Tab |
Saxagliptin (Onglyza®) |
2.5 mg
5 mg |
2.5-5 mg once daily
2.5-5 mg once daily |
$ 2.57/Tab
$ 3.09/Tab |
Sitagliptin (Januvia®) |
25 mg
50 mg
100 mg |
25 mg once daily (depending on renal function)
50 mg once daily (depending on renal function)
100 mg once daily |
$ 3.21/Tab
$ 3.21/Tab
$ 3.21/Tab |
Incretin Agents – GLP-1 receptor agonists |
Albiglutide (Eperzan™) |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Dulaglutide (Trulicity™) |
0.75 mg & 1.5 mg prefilled pen Available in packages of 2 or 4 pens |
Initial dose of 0.75 mg once weekly, increasing to 1.5 mg once weekly |
$ 52.03 per week = an average of $ 7.43/per day (supplied as prefilled pen) |
Exenatide (Byetta®) |
5 mcg prefilled pen (250 µg/mL)
10 mcg prefilled pen (250 µg/mL) |
10 mcg twice a day
10 mcg twice a day |
$ 2.60/5 mcg dose = an average cost of $ 5.20/day or $ 36.38/week (supplied as prefilled pen)
$ 2.60/10 mcg dose) = an average cost of $ 5.20/day or $ 36.38/week (supplied as prefilled pen |
Exenatide Extended Release (Bydureon®) |
2 mg prefilled pen (Sold in packages of 4 pens) |
Single dose of 2 mg injected once weekly |
$ 52.01 per week = an average of $ 7.43/per day (Supplied as prefilled pen) |
Liraglutide (Victoza®) |
6 mg/mL prefilled pen |
1.2 - 1.8 mg once daily |
$ 2.98/0.6 mg dose = an average cost of $ 20.86 per week
$ 5.96/1.2 mg dose = an average cost of $ 41.77 per week
$ 8.95/1.8 mg dose = an average cost of $ 62.65 per week (supplied as prefilled pen) |
Insulin Secretagogues – Sulfonylureas |
Gliclazide
(Diamicron®, generic) |
80 mg |
80-320 mg per day
(doses >160 mg should be twice a day) |
$ 0.09/Tab |
Gliclazide
(Diamicron MR®, generic) |
30 mg
60 mg |
30-120 mg once daily
60-120 mg once daily |
$ 0.09/Tab
$ 0.21/Tab |
Glimepiride
(Amaryl®, generic) |
1 mg
2 mg
4 mg
|
1-4 mg once daily
(may increase to a maximum dose of 8 mg/day)
1-4 mg once daily
(may increase to a maximum dose of 8 mg/day)
1-4 mg once daily
(may increase to a maximum dose of 8 mg/day) |
$ 0.44/Tab
$ 0.44/Tab
$ 0.44/Tab |
Glyburide
(Diabeta®, generic) |
2.5 mg
5 mg |
1.25-20 mg once daily
1.25-20 mg once daily |
$ 0.04/Tab
$ 0.06/Tab |
Note: Chlorpropamide and Tolbutamide are still available in Canada, but rarely used |
Insulin Secretagogues – Meglitinides |
Nateglinide (Starlix)
(Discontinued) |
60 mg
120 mg |
120 mg three times a day
120 mg three times a day |
$ 0.60/Tab
$ 0.63/Tab |
Repaglinide
(Gluconorm®, generic) |
0.5 mg
1 mg
2 mg |
0.5 - 4 mg taken with meals (max daily dose: 16 mg/day)
0.5 - 4 mg taken with meals (max daily dose: 16 mg/day)
0.5 - 4 mg taken with meals (max daily dose: 16 mg/day) |
$ 0.15/Tab
$ 0.16/Tab
$ 0.18/Tab |
Sodium Glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2) |
Canagliflozin
(Invokana™) |
100 mg
300 mg |
100 - 300 mg once daily
100 - 300 mg once daily |
$ 2.84/Tab
$ 2.84/Tab |
Dapagliflozin
(Forxiga®) |
5 mg
10 mg |
5 - 10 mg once daily
5 - 10 mg once daily |
$ 2.84/Tab
$ 2.84/Tab |
Empagliflozin
(Jardiance™) |
10 mg
25 mg |
10 - 25 mg once daily
10 - 25 mg once daily |
$ 2.84/Tab
$ 2.84/Tab |
Thiazolidinediones |
Pioglitazone (Actos)
generic |
15 mg
30 mg
45 mg |
15 - 30 mg once daily
15 - 30 mg once daily
Maximum daily dose |
$ 1.13/Tab
$ 1.42/Tab
$ 2.72/Tab |
Rosiglitazone
(Avandia®) |
2 mg
4 mg
8 mg |
4 - 8 mg daily as a single or as a divided dose
4 - 8 mg daily as a single or as a divided dose
4 - 8 mg daily as a single or as a divided dose |
$ 1.49/Tab
$ 2.34/Tab
$ 3.31/Tab |
Weight Loss Agent |
Orlistst (Xenical®) |
120 mg tab |
120 mg three times a day |
$ 1.78/Tab |
Combination Products |
Alogliptin/Metformin
Kazano™ |
12.5 mg/ 500 mg
12.5 mg/ 850 mg
12.5 mg/ 1000 mg |
Usual dose 1 tablet twice per day
Usual dose 1 tablet twice per day
Usual dose 1 tablet twice per day |
$ 1.49/Tab
$ 1.49/Tab
$ 1.49/Tab |
Linagliptin/Metformin
(Jentadueto™) |
2.5 mg/500 mg
2.5 mg/850 mg
2.5 mg/1000 mg |
Usual dose 1 tablet twice per day
Usual dose 1 tablet twice per day
Usual dose 1 tablet twice per day |
$ 1.37/Tab
$ 1.37/Tab
$ 1.37/Tab |
Rosiglitazone/Metformin
(AvandaMet®) |
2 mg/500 mg
2 mg/1000 mg
4 mg/500 mg
4 mg/1000 mg |
Starting dose of 2 mg/500 mg may increase to a maximum dose of 8 mg/2000 mg per day
Starting dose of 2 mg/500 mg may increase to a maximum dose of 8 mg/2000 mg per day
Starting dose of 2 mg/500 mg may increase to a maximum dose of 8 mg/2000 mg per day
Starting dose of 2 mg/500 mg may increase to a maximum dose of 8 mg/2000 mg per day |
$ 1.26/Tab
$ 1.38/Tab
$ 1.73/Tab
$ 1.83/Tab |
Saxagliptin/Metformin
(Komboglyze®) |
2.5 mg/500 mg
2.5 mg/850 mg
2.5 mg/1000 mg |
Usual dose 1 tablet twice per day
Usual dose 1 tablet twice per day
Usual dose 1 tablet twice per day |
$ 1.38/Tab
$ 1.38/Tab
$ 1.38/Tab |
Sitagliptin/Metformin
(Janumet®) |
50 mg/500 mg
50 mg/850 mg
50 mg/1000 mg |
Usual dose 1 tablet twice per day
Usual dose 1 tablet twice per day
Usual dose 1 tablet twice per day |
$ 1.61/Tab
$ 1.61/Tab
$ 1.61/Tab |
Sitagliptan/Metformin
Extended Release
Formula (Janumet XR®) |
50 mg/500 mg
50 mg/1000 mg
100 mg/1000 mg (currently only available in Quebec) |
Usual dose 2 tablets once daily
Usual dose 2 tablets once daily
Usual dose 2 tablets once daily |
$ 1.61/Tab
$ 1.61/Tab
$ 1.61/Tab |