Empagliflozin is an orally active, selective inhibitor of SGLT2 with a bioavailability of 78%, no active metabolites, and very limited drug-drug interactions.

Empagliflozin inhibited reabsorption of up to 40% of filtered glucose at single daily doses of 0.5 mg to 10 mg, rising to 40% to 60% inhibition of filtered glucose at higher doses and reaching a plateau at around the 100-mg dose. When empagliflozin was administered with food, there were no relevant effects on UGE. The mean cumulative UGE was 71.7 g in a fasting state compared with 75.9 g in a fed state with the 50-mg empagliflozin dose over 24 hours following oral administration. All doses of empagliflozin exhibited higher amounts of glucose excretion when compared with placebo in the single rising-dose study.