What Foundayo actually is
Foundayo is Eli Lilly's brand name for orforglipron, a once-daily tablet. The MHRA authorised it on 10 August 2026, making the UK the first country in Europe to approve it, according to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Pharmaceutical Journal.
It carries two licences at once, which is unusual for a new weight-management medicine:
- Weight management in adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or 27 to 30 with a weight-related condition, alongside a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity.
- Type 2 diabetes, to improve glycaemic control where it is insufficiently controlled.
Mounjaro, Wegovy and Ozempic are peptides, which is why they need injecting or, in the Wegovy tablet's case, strict fasting to survive the gut. Orforglipron is a small molecule, not a peptide. That difference in chemistry is the whole reason the tablet behaves the way it does.
The no-fasting rule, and why it matters
This is the part that separates Foundayo from every other oral GLP-1 in the UK. The MHRA licence states it is taken once daily, at any time of day, with no food or water restrictions.
Compare that with the Wegovy tablet, which has to be swallowed on an empty stomach with a small sip of water, followed by a 30 minute wait before eating, drinking or taking anything else. That regimen is workable, but it is a daily discipline people do get wrong.
Foundayo removes that failure mode entirely. For anyone who travels, works shifts, or simply struggles to protect a fasted half-hour every morning, that is a practical difference rather than a marketing one.
What the trials actually found
The phase 3 weight-management results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine in September 2025. Over 72 weeks, average weight loss was:
| Daily dose | Average weight loss at 72 weeks |
|---|---|
| 6 mg | 7.5% |
| 12 mg | 8.4% |
| 36 mg | 11.2% |
| Placebo | 2.1% |
In February 2026 the ACHIEVE-3 study reported greater weight loss than oral semaglutide in people with type 2 diabetes.
11.2% at the top dose is a real result, but it sits below what the tirzepatide and semaglutide injections achieve in their own trials. Foundayo's argument is convenience and access, not maximum weight loss. Anyone choosing it because they expect injection-level results is being sold something the evidence does not support.
Strengths and how it is taken
Three strengths were studied and licensed: 6 mg, 12 mg and 36 mg, taken as one tablet daily. As with every GLP-1, prescribers start low and step up to let side effects settle. Your prescriber sets the schedule, and there is no click counting or pen dialling involved.
The common side effects follow the familiar GLP-1 pattern: nausea, constipation, diarrhoea and indigestion, usually worst after a dose increase. Our side effects guide covers what helps and what counts as a red flag.
UK availability, NHS status and price
Foundayo is a prescription-only medicine and is not currently available on the NHS. NICE guidance is expected on 18 November 2026, which is the decision that determines whether NHS access follows.
Until then it is private prescription only, and private pricing varies by pharmacy in the same way it does for every other GLP-1. Cost per month is the number worth comparing, not the headline price, because consultation and delivery fees are often quoted separately.
Frequently asked questions
Is Foundayo available on the NHS?
Not at present. It is a prescription-only medicine available privately. NICE guidance is expected on 18 November 2026, and that decision determines whether NHS access follows.
Do I have to fast before taking Foundayo?
No. The MHRA licence states it is taken once daily at any time of day with no food or water restrictions. That is the main practical difference between Foundayo and the Wegovy tablet, which does require fasting.
How much weight did people lose in the trials?
In the phase 3 trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine in September 2025, average weight loss over 72 weeks was 7.5% on 6 mg, 8.4% on 12 mg and 11.2% on 36 mg, against 2.1% on placebo.
Is Foundayo the same as Mounjaro or Wegovy?
No. Mounjaro and Wegovy are peptide medicines given by injection, and Wegovy also comes as a tablet with fasting rules. Orforglipron is a small molecule rather than a peptide, which is why it works as an ordinary daily tablet.
Can Foundayo be used for type 2 diabetes?
Yes. The MHRA licensed it for two uses at once: weight management, and improving glycaemic control in insufficiently controlled type 2 diabetes.
Show all 5 cited sources, with study authors
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Marketing authorisation for orforglipron (Foundayo), 10 August 2026: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/medicines-and-healthcare-products-regulatory-agency
- Royal Pharmaceutical Society, The Pharmaceutical Journal. MHRA approves orforglipron weight-loss pill: pharmaceutical-journal.com
- New England Journal of Medicine. Phase 3 trial of orforglipron for weight management, September 2025: www.nejm.org
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Orforglipron appraisal, guidance expected 18 November 2026: www.nice.org.uk/guidance
- electronic medicines compendium (emc). Foundayo SmPC and patient leaflet: www.medicines.org.uk/emc