Does metformin contain wheat or gluten as an excipient?

We cross-check each metformin product label against four data sources: DailyMed (FDA Structured Product Labels), the European Medicines Agency centrally-authorised medicines database, the Plogsted curated gluten-free drug list, and the 2024 Mangione et al. pediatric pharmacy NDC analysis. Inactive ingredients are scanned against a 146-entry red-flag dictionary covering wheat, barley, rye, malt, source-ambiguous starches, and FDA gluten-free attestation phrases. At least one manufacturer has formally attested their formulation contains no gluten. Of 11 labels we checked, 1 are confirmed by the maker and 10 show nothing flagged. Confirm the brand or generic on your bottle matches one of the attesting manufacturers below.

Can different manufacturers' generic versions of metformin have different gluten status?

Yes. Generics in the United States must use the same active ingredient as the brand, but they are not required to use the same inactive ingredients. Two generics of metformin from different manufacturers can use entirely different starch sources, binders, and fillers. A pharmacy may also switch which manufacturer it dispenses between fills without notifying you. Each manufacturer-specific entry below corresponds to a separately-filed product label.

DailyMed checked live · reference data updated May 17, 2026 · 11 product labels screened

Is metformin gluten-free?

Confirmed gluten-free by at least one manufacturer. At least one manufacturer has formally attested their formulation contains no gluten. Of 11 labels we checked, 1 are confirmed by the maker and 10 show nothing flagged. Confirm the brand or generic on your bottle matches one of the attesting manufacturers below.

Drug context

About metformin

Metformin is the first-line oral medication for type 2 diabetes, sold under brand names including Glucophage, Fortamet, Glumetza.

Why this matters

Different manufacturers, different ingredients

Generics of metformin use the same active ingredient, but they aren't required to use the same inactive ingredients. Your pharmacy may switch which manufacturer they dispense between fills, sometimes without telling you. The list below shows each manufacturer's product label as a separate entry, because that's the granularity that actually matters when you're celiac.

The labels

The 11 we checked

01

Teva manufacturer-attested gluten-free

Plogsted list · Metformin (Teva) · label dated 2017-04-28

Listed gluten-free in Plogsted Alpha List (2017-04-28)
View source label →
02

Quallent Pharmaceuticals Health LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · METFORMIN HYDROCHLORIDE TABLET, FILM COATED [QUALLENT PHARMACEUTICALS HEALTH LLC] · label dated Jun 29, 2026

Inactive ingredients CELLULOSE, MICROCRYSTALLINE · HYPROMELLOSES · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · POVIDONE · SILICON DIOXIDE · SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A POTATO
View source label →
03

Unit Dose Solutions, Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · METFORMIN HYDROCHLORIDE TABLET [UNIT DOSE SOLUTIONS, INC.] · label dated Jun 29, 2026

Inactive ingredients BLACKBERRY · HYPROMELLOSE 2910 (6 MPA.S) · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 400 · POVIDONE K30 · POVIDONE K90 · STARCH, CORN · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
04

Unit Dose Solutions, Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · METFORMIN HCL TABLET [UNIT DOSE SOLUTIONS, INC.] · label dated Jun 29, 2026

Inactive ingredients HYPROMELLOSE 2910 (6 MPA.S) · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MALTODEXTRIN · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 400 · POVIDONE K30 · POVIDONE K90 · STARCH, CORN · TRIACETIN
View source label →
05

Unit Dose Solutions, Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · METFORMIN HCL TABLET [UNIT DOSE SOLUTIONS, INC.] · label dated Jun 29, 2026

Inactive ingredients HYPROMELLOSE 2910 (6 MPA.S) · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MALTODEXTRIN · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 400 · POVIDONE K30 · POVIDONE K90 · STARCH, CORN · TRIACETIN
View source label →
06

Viona Pharmaceuticals Inc nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · METFORMIN HYDROCHLORIDE TABLET, EXTENDED RELEASE [VIONA PHARMACEUTICALS INC] · label dated Jun 29, 2026

Inactive ingredients CELLULOSE, MICROCRYSTALLINE · GLYCERYL BEHENATE/EICOSADIOATE · HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · POVIDONE
View source label →
07

Granules India Ltd nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · METFORMIN HYDROCHLORIDE (METFORMIN HYDROCHLORIDE TABLET) TABLET METFORMIN HYDROCHLORIDE… · label dated Jun 26, 2026

Inactive ingredients BLACKBERRY · HYPROMELLOSE 2910 (6 MPA.S) · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 400 · POVIDONE K30 · POVIDONE K90 · STARCH, CORN · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
08

AiPing Pharmaceutical, Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · METFORMIN HYDROCHLORIDE (METFORMIN HYDROCHLORIDE EXTENDED-RELEASE TABLETS) TABLET, FILM… · label dated Jun 26, 2026

Inactive ingredients ACETONE · CELLULOSE ACETATE · FERROSOFERRIC OXIDE · HYPROMELLOSES · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 400 · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 8000 · POLYSORBATE 80 · POVIDONE · SHELLAC · SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE · TITANIUM DIOXIDE · TRIACETIN
View source label →
09

Ajanta Pharma USA Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · METFORMIN HYDROCHLORIDE TABLET, EXTENDED RELEASE [AJANTA PHARMA USA INC.] · label dated Jun 23, 2026

Inactive ingredients AMMONIA · ETHYLCELLULOSE, UNSPECIFIED · FERROSOFERRIC OXIDE · HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 400 · POVIDONE, UNSPECIFIED · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SHELLAC · STARCH, CORN
View source label →
10

Unichem Pharmaceuticals (USA), Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · METFORMIN HYDROCHLORIDE TABLET, EXTENDED RELEASE [UNICHEM PHARMACEUTICALS (USA), INC.] · label dated Jun 22, 2026

Inactive ingredients CARBOXYMETHYLCELLULOSE SODIUM · HYPROMELLOSE 2208 (100000 MPA.S) · MAGNESIUM STEARATE
View source label →
11

Granules Pharmaceuticals Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · METFORMIN HYDROCHLORIDE TABLET [GRANULES PHARMACEUTICALS INC.] · label dated Jun 18, 2026

Inactive ingredients BLACKBERRY · HYPROMELLOSE 2910 (6 MPA.S) · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 400 · POVIDONE K30 · POVIDONE K90 · STARCH, CORN · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →

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Background

What “gluten in a medication” actually means

Gluten enters drugs through their excipients — the inactive ingredients used to bind, coat, fill, or stabilize the dose. The main concern is wheat starch as a filler. Source-ambiguous starches (plain “starch”, pregelatinized starch, sodium starch glycolate, modified starch) get flagged for verification because their botanical origin isn't always disclosed on the label.

The 2024 Mangione et al. pediatric NDC analysis (689 NDCs across the top 100 pediatric medications) found 1.5% contained gluten outright; another 25.7% couldn't be confirmed either way. Liquid and oral-suspension formulations carry disproportionate risk because wheat starch is a common thickener. Full methodology →

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