Foundayo (orforglipron) in the UK: what the new daily weight-loss tablet is and who it's for

Weight-loss medicine has moved fast in 2026. Only weeks after Wegovy's tablet form arrived on the UK market, a second oral option has followed it: on 10 August 2026 the MHRA authorised Foundayo, the UK brand name for orforglipron, a new once-daily weight-loss tablet from Eli Lilly. The UK was the first country in Europe to approve it.

As with every new weight-loss medicine, the headlines can run ahead of the detail. Here's the balanced version — what Foundayo actually is, who it's licensed for, what the evidence shows, and what it does (and doesn't) mean if you're thinking about weight-loss treatment.

What is Foundayo?

Foundayo is the UK brand name for orforglipron, a GLP-1 receptor agonist — the same broad class of medicine as semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro). What sets it apart is that orforglipron is a small-molecule medicine, designed from the outset to work as a straightforward oral tablet, rather than a peptide adapted into tablet form. It's manufactured by Eli Lilly, the company behind Mounjaro.

UK authorisation: a first for Europe

On 10 August 2026, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) authorised Foundayo for use in the UK — the first medicines regulator in Europe to do so. The authorisation covers two separate uses: weight management, and improving blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes.

Who is it licensed for?

For weight management, Foundayo is licensed for adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m² or above (obesity), or a BMI of 27 up to 30 kg/m² (overweight) with at least one weight-related health condition — such as prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or obstructive sleep apnoea. It is licensed to be used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity — not instead of them. Separately, it is also licensed to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes, either on its own or alongside other diabetes medicines.

How is Foundayo taken?

According to the UK product information (the Summary of Product Characteristics), Foundayo is started at a low dose of 0.8 mg once daily. The dose is then stepped up gradually — roughly every 30 days, through 2.5 mg and 5.5 mg and potentially higher, up to a maximum of 17.2 mg once daily — depending on tolerability and response. This gradual build-up is standard practice for GLP-1 medicines and is designed to reduce side effects.

One practical difference from Wegovy's tablet: Wegovy's tablet must be taken on an empty stomach with only a small sip of water, with no food or drink for 30 minutes afterwards. The UK product information for Foundayo states it can be taken at any time of day, without food or water restrictions — tablets should be swallowed whole and not broken, crushed or chewed.

What did the evidence show?

Foundayo's authorisation for weight management was supported by the ATTAIN-1 phase 3 trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Over 3,100 adults with obesity (without diabetes) took orforglipron at one of several doses, or a placebo, for 72 weeks alongside diet and physical activity support. At the highest dose tested, participants lost on average around 11% of their body weight, compared with around 2% in the placebo group. More than half of those on the highest dose lost at least 10% of their body weight, and roughly a third lost at least 15%.

And the honest other half: side effects were common, particularly gastrointestinal ones, and a meaningful minority of participants stopped treatment because of them. As with all GLP-1 medicines, results vary between individuals and Foundayo won't suit or work the same way for everyone — which is exactly why it's prescription-only and needs a proper clinical assessment first.

Side effects, and who shouldn't take it

According to the UK product information, the most commonly reported side effects are gastrointestinal — nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, vomiting, dyspepsia (indigestion) and abdominal pain — and tend to be more noticeable while the dose is being increased. Bloating, burping, reflux and wind are also common, and there's a risk of low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) if it's taken together with insulin or certain other diabetes medicines.

Foundayo should not be used during pregnancy — it should be stopped at least three weeks before trying to conceive — or while breastfeeding. Like any newly authorised medicine, it is under additional monitoring by the MHRA, and anyone experiencing a side effect is encouraged to report it via the Yellow Card scheme.

This is general information from the UK product literature, not a full list of side effects or contraindications. Whether Foundayo is appropriate and safe for you depends on your individual health history — which is exactly what a proper clinical assessment is for.

Foundayo vs Wegovy: how do they compare?

Foundayo isn't the first oral weight-loss tablet approved in the UK — Wegovy's tablet form (oral semaglutide) was authorised in June 2026. Both are once-daily GLP-1 tablets, prescription-only, and licensed for adults with obesity, or overweight plus a weight-related condition. There are some genuine practical differences: Wegovy's tablet must be taken fasted with only a sip of water, whereas the UK product information for Foundayo states it can be taken at any time of day without food or water restrictions.

It's tempting to compare headline trial figures directly — Wegovy's tablet trial reported around 14% average weight loss over 64 weeks, Foundayo's ATTAIN-1 trial reported around 11% over 72 weeks at the highest dose — but these come from separate trials, in different groups of people, measured in slightly different ways. They can't be used to say one medicine works better than the other; only a head-to-head trial could really answer that, and none has been done. Which one, if either, might suit you is a question for a clinical assessment, not a comparison table.

Is Foundayo available on the NHS?

Not currently. Like Wegovy's tablet and most new weight-loss medicines, MHRA authorisation is a separate step from NHS funding. NICE — the body that decides which treatments the NHS pays for — is currently appraising orforglipron for weight management, and at the time of writing had not yet published its guidance. Until it does, Foundayo is only available through private prescription, following an individual clinical assessment of whether it's appropriate and safe for you.

What does it cost?

We're not going to quote a price here. Foundayo is currently available only on private prescription, following a clinical assessment, and cost varies between providers — it depends on the dose, the length of treatment, and what's included (consultation, monitoring, follow-up). Anyone quoting a fixed price without having assessed you first should raise a question, not confidence.

Why a proper consultation matters

Prescription weight-loss medicines are prescription-only for good reason. A proper consultation checks your BMI and weight-related health conditions in person, reviews your full medical history and current medications (to check for interactions or reasons a GLP-1 medicine might not be suitable), and puts ongoing monitoring in place so any side effects are picked up early and your dose is adjusted safely. None of that happens if a medicine is supplied from a website after nothing more than a tick-box questionnaire.

A word of caution about where you obtain it

Whenever a weight-loss medicine makes headlines, unlicensed sellers follow within days. The MHRA has repeatedly warned that medicines sold via unregistered websites or on social media are frequently counterfeit, the wrong strength, or not the medicine at all — and that promoting prescription-only medicines directly to the public is against the law. Commenting on Foundayo's authorisation, the MHRA's Executive Director, Julian Beach, noted that, as with all GLP-1 receptor agonists, it remains a prescription-only medicine and its safety and effectiveness will be kept under close review. Only ever obtain prescription medicines from a registered pharmacy or clinic, where a prescriber has actually assessed you — you can check any pharmacy's registration on the GPhC register.

Is it right for me?

That's not something an article can answer — and it's worth being sceptical of anyone who claims otherwise. It depends on your BMI, your health conditions, your current medication, what you've already tried, and what matters to you. For some people, a GLP-1 medicine like Foundayo may be appropriate; for others, a structured lifestyle programme, or one of the other tablet or injection options, may be a better fit. That's a decision best made with a healthcare professional who can look at your whole picture.