Foundayo Tablets: What to Know About the New Oral Weight-Loss Treatment

Foundayo has been authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for weight management and type 2 diabetes.

Authorisation means the regulator has reviewed evidence relating to the medicine’s quality, safety and effectiveness for its approved uses.

For weight management, it is authorised alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for adults with:

• a BMI of 30 or above; or
• a BMI between 27 and 30 with at least one weight-related health condition.

Approval does not mean the medicine is suitable for everyone, immediately available through every provider or automatically funded by the NHS.

Foundayo is the brand name for orforglipron, a once-daily GLP-1 receptor agonist developed by Eli Lilly.

GLP-1 is a hormone naturally released by the body after eating. It is involved in appetite, feelings of fullness and blood-sugar control.

Foundayo is described as a small-molecule, non-peptide medicine. Its structure allows it to be absorbed as a conventional tablet without an injection or the fasting routine required with oral semaglutide.

There is currently no tablet version of Mounjaro. Foundayo should not be described as “Mounjaro in a pill” because the active ingredients, mechanisms and dosing schedules are different.

Orforglipron activates GLP-1 receptors involved in appetite regulation.

It can help people:

• feel fuller after eating;
• experience less hunger between meals;
• reduce food cravings;
• eat less overall; and
• improve blood-sugar control where relevant.

Like other prescription weight-management medicines, Foundayo is intended to be used alongside appropriate dietary and physical-activity support.

The medicine can influence appetite, but it does not replace the need to consider nutrition, hydration, protein intake, physical activity and muscle preservation.

The ATTAIN-1 trial included more than 3,000 adults living with obesity, or overweight with a related health condition, who did not have type 2 diabetes.

Participants received orforglipron or a placebo alongside dietary and physical-activity support for 72 weeks.

In the analysis including everyone who started the study, people receiving the highest studied dose lost an average of approximately 11.1% of their starting body weight. Average weight loss with placebo was approximately 2.1%.

A separate analysis estimating results if participants remained on their assigned treatment reported average weight loss of approximately 12.4% at the highest dose.

Results from one medicine’s trial should not be directly compared with results from a separate trial as if the medicines were tested against each other. Study populations, duration, doses, methods and completion rates can all differ.

The authorised dose progression is:

0.8 mg → 2.5 mg → 5.5 mg → 9 mg → 14.5 mg → 17.2 mg

Dose increases are guided by treatment response and side effects. Reaching the highest dose is not the goal for everyone.

What if I miss a dose?

A missed dose may be taken later on the same day, but two doses should not be taken on the same day.

If Foundayo has been missed for seven or more consecutive days, contact your prescriber before restarting.

How is Foundayo stored?

Foundayo should be kept in its original packaging to protect the tablets from light. Store it out of the sight and reach of children and follow the instructions supplied with the medicine.

Both are once-daily GLP-1 tablets, but they have different active ingredients and practical routines.

Published weight-loss results come from separate trials and should not be treated as a direct comparison or guarantee that one medicine will work better for an individual.

Foundayo versus weekly injections

A tablet may feel more approachable for someone who dislikes injections. Other people may find one planned treatment day each week easier than remembering a tablet every day.

Mounjaro also acts on two hormone pathways rather than one and has produced greater average weight loss in its own clinical trials. However, convenience, medical history, treatment response, side effects, availability and cost may all influence which option is most appropriate.

The best treatment format is the one that is clinically suitable and realistic to use consistently.

• people with a fear or strong dislike of needles;
• people who prefer taking daily tablets;
• people who do not want injection equipment or sharps disposal;
• people who find oral Wegovy’s fasting routine difficult;
• people considering their longer-term treatment options;
• people whose clinician believes orforglipron may be appropriate.

Interest does not necessarily mean suitability. Someone who dislikes needles may still find a weekly injection easier than remembering a daily tablet.

Suitability can depend on your medical history, BMI, weight-related health risks, current medicines, previous treatment, pregnancy plans and gastrointestinal health.

A clinician may also need to consider diabetes treatment, kidney or liver health, previous pancreatitis or gallbladder problems, planned surgery or sedation, and whether reduced appetite could affect nutrition and hydration.

Weight-management medicines are not used during pregnancy. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, contraception and plans to conceive should be discussed before treatment.

What side effects can Foundayo cause?

The most common side effects affect the digestive system and include:

• nausea;
• constipation;
• diarrhoea;
• vomiting;
• indigestion; and
• abdominal pain.

Side effects may be more noticeable when treatment begins or after the dose increases. Increasing gradually gives the body time to adjust, although some people may still need to remain at a lower dose or stop treatment.

Tell healthcare professionals that you use a GLP-1 medicine before surgery, sedation or another medical procedure because delayed stomach emptying may affect clinical planning.

Switching may eventually be considered for some people, but it must be planned by a prescriber.

Foundayo, Wegovy and Mounjaro have different active ingredients and dose schedules. They cannot be exchanged on a direct dose-for-dose basis.

A clinician may consider:

• which medicine and dose you currently use;
• when your last dose was taken;
• how well your current treatment is working;
• side effects, nutrition and hydration;
• other medicines and health conditions;
• the most appropriate starting plan; and
• what monitoring and follow-up will be needed.

Could Foundayo help maintain weight loss after injections?

Early clinical evidence suggests that orforglipron may help some people retain a significant proportion of the weight they previously lost using an injectable GLP-1 medicine.

This is a developing area of evidence. It does not mean that everyone should move from injections to tablets or that weight will remain stable after switching.

Longer-term planning should consider appetite, treatment response, nutrition, physical activity, muscle preservation, side effects and ongoing clinical support.

Interest in newly approved weight-loss medicines can attract illegal sellers, counterfeit products and websites that do not carry out appropriate clinical assessments.

Only obtain prescription weight-management medicine from a regulated UK prescriber and registered pharmacy.

• Do not buy tablets through social-media messages or informal marketplaces.
• Do not use medicine supplied without a prescription and eligibility assessment.
• Do not assume that packaging or a familiar brand name proves a product is genuine.
• Do not use another GLP-1 product as a substitute unless it has been prescribed for you.

LIVVE now offers Foundayo through its weight-management service where clinically appropriate.

This resource explains the treatment at a general level. LIVVE’s Foundayo product page remains the source for current availability, pricing, dose and prescribing information.

A LIVVE clinician may review:

• eligibility and weight-related health risks;
• medical history and current medicines;
• previous weight-management treatment;
• menopause symptoms and HRT where relevant;
• preference for a daily tablet or weekly injection;
• side effects, nutrition and hydration;
• whether a tablet, injection or another approach is most appropriate.

Completing an assessment will not guarantee that Foundayo is prescribed. Your clinician may recommend a different option or decide that prescription treatment is not appropriate.