Orforglipron (Foundayo): the new oral GLP-1 pill for weight loss

The world of weight loss treatment is evolving fast. For years, the most effective options have required weekly injections. That's starting to change.

The Wegovy pill became the first oral weight loss medicine of its kind when it launched in the US in January 2026. Orforglipron followed in April 2026, approved in the US under the brand name Foundayo.

Neither is yet available in the UK, but both are expected to follow once they're approved by UK regulators. In clinical trials, orforglipron helped people lose up to 11% of their starting weight over 72 weeks, with promising results in both weight loss and blood sugar control.

Here's what we know so far.

Key Takeaways

• A once-daily oral GLP-1 pill, approved in the US in April 2026 under the brand name Foundayo
• In trials, people lost up to 11.1% of their body weight at the maximum approved dose over 72 weeks
• In a head-to-head trial, orforglipron outperformed oral semaglutide on both weight loss and blood sugar control
• Side effects are mostly mild to moderate gut symptoms, most common during the early weeks of treatment
• UK availability via private prescription is expected from late 2026 onwards

​​How does orforglipron (Foundayo) work for weight loss?

Orforglipron, sold as Foundayo, is a once-daily GLP-1 weight loss pill. Like Wegovy injections and Saxenda, it mimics a natural hormone called GLP-1, which reduces hunger, curbs cravings, and helps you feel fuller for longer.

Unlike other GLP-1 medications, orforglipron is a non-peptide small molecule. This means Foundayo can be taken at any time of day, with or without food. The Wegovy pill and Rybelsus, by contrast, need to be taken on an empty stomach with a 30-minute wait before eating or drinking.

Like all GLP-1 medications, orforglipron works best alongside a reduced-calorie diet and regular physical activity. The medication does the heavy lifting on appetite, but small, sustainable lifestyle changes tend to produce the best long-term results.

FYI: Ozempic contains the same active ingredient as Wegovy (semaglutide) but is licensed for type 2 diabetes rather than weight loss.

Orforglipron (Foundayo) dosage guide

Orforglipron is taken as a once-daily tablet, starting at a low dose and gradually increasing. In the US, where it's approved as Foundayo, the dosing schedule goes from a starting dose of 0.8mg up to a maximum of 17.2mg:

• 0.8mg once daily (starting dose)
• 2.5mg once daily
• 5.5mg once daily
• 9mg once daily
• 14.5mg once daily
• 17.2mg once daily (maximum dose)

Your prescriber will move you up to the next dose after at least 30 days, until you find the dose that works best for you. Not everyone needs to reach the maximum 17.2mg dose, and some may stay on a lower dose long-term if they're seeing results and tolerating it well. UK dosing may differ once orforglipron is approved.

How to take orforglipron (Foundayo)

Orforglipron is taken once a day, with or without food, at any time of day. Swallow the tablet whole, without breaking, crushing, or chewing it.

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. Don't take two doses in the same day. If you miss orforglipron for 7 or more days in a row, speak to your prescriber before restarting treatment.

How effective is orforglipron (Foundayo) for weight loss?

Orforglipron weight loss without type 2 diabetes

Over 3,000 adults with obesity took orforglipron for 72 weeks. People on the maximum 17.2mg dose lost an average of 11.1% of their body weight, compared to 2.1% with placebo.

Orforglipron weight loss with type 2 diabetes

People living with both obesity and type 2 diabetes took orforglipron for 72 weeks. Those on the maximum 17.2mg dose lost an average of 9.6% of their body weight, compared to 2.5% with placebo.

Can orforglipron (Foundayo) help with blood sugar control?

Yes, and the results are significant. In people with both obesity and type 2 diabetes, 75% of those taking the highest trial dose reached an HbA1c of 6.5% or below, the level used to diagnose type 2 diabetes. Blood sugar levels fell by an average of 1.3% to 1.8% across doses.

In a head-to-head trial, orforglipron lowered HbA1c more than Rybelsus, the only oral GLP-1 currently licensed for type 2 diabetes in the UK.

It's worth noting that Foundayo is currently approved in the US for weight loss only. A separate approval for type 2 diabetes is expected later in 2026.

What are the other potential benefits of orforglipron (Foundayo)?

Beyond weight loss, orforglipron has shown a range of other health improvements across trials. People taking the medication saw reductions in blood pressure, improvements in cholesterol, and lower triglyceride levels, a type of fat in the blood associated with cardiovascular and metabolic health.

A separate analysis also found that levels of an inflammation marker called high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) fell by 50.6% at the highest trial dose. That matters because chronic inflammation is linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other long-term conditions.

These findings suggest Foundayo may offer broader benefits for heart and metabolic health, but longer-term outcome trials are still ongoing.

What other oral GLP-1 medications are available?

Oral semaglutide is orforglipron's closest competitor. There are currently two oral semaglutide options:

• Rybelsus: licensed in the UK for type 2 diabetes
• Wegovy pill: approved in the US in January 2026 for weight loss. The Wegovy pill isn't yet available in the UK.

People taking the Wegovy pill (25mg) lost 16.6% of their body weight over 64 weeks among those who completed the full course of treatment.

How does orforglipron (Foundayo) compare to oral semaglutide?

In ACHIEVE-3, the only head-to-head trial of the two, orforglipron 36mg (the trial dose) outperformed oral semaglutide 14mg in 1,698 adults with type 2 diabetes:

• Weight loss: 9.2% with orforglipron vs 5.3% with semaglutide
• HbA1c reduction: 2.2% with orforglipron vs 1.4% with semaglutide
• Cardiovascular markers: cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure all favoured orforglipron

Orforglipron also has a practical advantage: it can be taken at any time without food or water restrictions, whereas both Rybelsus and the Wegovy pill must be taken on an empty stomach with a 30-minute wait.

A few things to keep in mind. The trial used semaglutide at type 2 diabetes doses, not the higher 25mg dose licensed for weight loss, so we don't yet know how orforglipron compares against the Wegovy pill at its full dose. More people also stopped taking orforglipron due to side effects (around 9%) than semaglutide (around 5%), so tolerability matters.

How does orforglipron (Foundayo) compare to weight loss injections?

Orforglipron shows promising results, but injectable GLP-1 medications tend to produce greater weight loss at their highest doses:

• Mounjaro (15mg): up to 22.5% weight loss over 72 weeks
• Wegovy (7.2mg): 20.7% weight loss over 72 weeks
• Orforglipron (17.2mg): 11.1% weight loss over 72 weeks
• Saxenda (3mg): around 7.4% weight loss after one year

So while orforglipron doesn't quite match the top-performing injectables, it's a step forward for people who prefer not to inject. For a detailed comparison with Mounjaro specifically, see our guide on orforglipron vs tirzepatide.

How does orforglipron (Foundayo) compare to orlistat?

Orlistat is currently the only weight loss tablet licensed in the UK. It works differently from GLP-1 medications, reducing the amount of fat your gut absorbs from food rather than suppressing appetite.

Orforglipron appears significantly more effective. Around 1 in 5 people taking orlistat lose at least 10% of their body weight after a year, compared to 60% of people on orforglipron at the highest trial dose over 72 weeks.

Can orforglipron (Foundayo) help maintain weight loss after stopping injections?

Many people who reach their goal weight on Wegovy or Mounjaro wonder what comes next, and whether switching to a tablet could help them maintain their results.

The ATTAIN-MAINTAIN trial followed people who had lost weight on Wegovy or Zepbound (the US version of Mounjaro for weight loss) over 72 weeks, before switching them to orforglipron. Those who switched from Wegovy had lost around 18kg and gained back less than 1kg after switching. Those who switched from Zepbound had lost around 25kg and gained back 5kg.

This is promising early evidence for orforglipron as a maintenance option.

What are the side effects of orforglipron (Foundayo)?

Orforglipron side effects were mostly mild to moderate and consistent with other GLP-1 medications. The most commonly reported in trials were:

• Nausea (affecting 29-36% of people)
• Constipation (22-30%)
• Diarrhoea (21-23%)
• Vomiting (13-24%)

These were most common during dose escalation and generally eased over time. Early data also suggests orforglipron may cause fewer gut-related side effects than Mounjaro, which works on two hormones (GLP-1 and GIP) rather than one. That dual action is what makes Mounjaro particularly effective for weight loss, but it may also contribute to more side effects.

Who shouldn't take orforglipron (Foundayo)?

Orforglipron isn't suitable for everyone. Based on FDA prescribing information for Foundayo, the main contraindications and warnings are:

Don't take orforglipron if you:

• Have a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2)
• Have had a serious allergic reaction to orforglipron
• Are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding
• Are already taking another GLP-1 medicine like Wegovy, the Wegovy pill, Mounjaro, Ozempic, or Rybelsus

Talk to your prescriber first if you:

• Have a history of pancreatitis, gallbladder problems, or kidney problems
• Have type 2 diabetes and take insulin or sulfonylureas (risk of low blood sugar)
• Have severe stomach problems like gastroparesis
• Have a history of diabetic retinopathy
• Take the oral contraceptive pill (backup contraception is recommended for 30 days after starting and after each dose increase)
• Are scheduled for surgery or any procedure involving anaesthesia

UK prescribing information will be confirmed once orforglipron is approved.

When will orforglipron (Foundayo) be available in the UK?

Orforglipron is already available in the US, where it received FDA approval in April 2026 under the brand name Foundayo. Eli Lilly has submitted it for approval in over 40 countries, including the UK.

For the UK, orforglipron first needs approval from the MHRA (the UK's medicines regulator). Once that's granted, private clinics can prescribe it straight away. NHS availability typically takes longer, as it requires a separate review process.

Based on current timelines, orforglipron is most likely to reach the UK via private prescription from late 2026 onwards.

Side effects support at Voy

"If you're using Voy and you experience any side effects, rest assured that our expert clinicians are just a message or phone call away. They can adjust your dose, prescribe medication to ease your symptoms, or simply offer reassurance.

Everyone responds differently to weight loss treatment and we'll help you find what feels right for you."

Phoebe Fox - Weight Loss Specialist

Start your weight loss journey today

Orforglipron is exciting, and we'll be keeping a close eye on it as it moves through the approval process. But if you're ready to start now, you don't have to wait.

Wegovy and Mounjaro are available today, backed by years of clinical evidence, and have already helped hundreds of thousands of people across the UK lose weight. Through our treatment, we post your medication to you each month, with support from our clinical team every step of the way.

Take our short quiz to see if you're eligible.