Foundayo (orforglipron)

UK authorisation in August 2026

On 10 August 2026 the MHRA granted Eli Lilly a UK licence for orforglipron, sold as Foundayo. The MHRA said the UK was the first country in Europe to authorise the tablet. The licence covers two uses.

The first is weight management, including weight loss and maintenance, for adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or a BMI between 27 and 30 with at least one weight-related condition. Treatment sits alongside a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity. The second is improving blood glucose control in adults whose type 2 diabetes is not controlled well enough.

With a UK licence in place, staff should work from the UK Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) on the EMC, not from US labelling.

How Foundayo differs from the Wegovy pill

Both are daily GLP-1 tablets for weight management, but the products differ in three practical ways for counselling. Foundayo contains orforglipron, not semaglutide. The MHRA says Foundayo has no food or water restrictions, while the Wegovy pill must be taken on an empty stomach with a sip of water and a 30-minute wait before eating. Foundayo also carries a type 2 diabetes licence, while the Wegovy pill is licensed for weight management only.

Patients switching between products, or between tablets and injections, need a prescriber decision based on the SmPC. Do not treat any two GLP-1 products as interchangeable at the point of supply.

NHS position

The MHRA states the tablet is approved for use in the UK but not currently available through the NHS. NICE is appraising orforglipron for managing obesity, and the NICE website lists an expected publication date of 18 November 2026. Until NICE publishes and the NHS commissions a service, there is no NHS supply of Foundayo. Patients asking about NHS access should hear this plainly.

Safety points

The MHRA lists the most common side effects as nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, vomiting, indigestion and abdominal pain. The MHRA says the safety and effectiveness of orforglipron will stay under close review.

The class-wide MHRA advice on GLP-1 medicines covers pancreatitis, dehydration, aspiration risk under anaesthesia, and use around pregnancy. Check the Foundayo SmPC for product-specific advice on contraception and how long to stop before trying to conceive, as these periods differ between GLP-1 medicines. The GLP-1 safety guide sets out the shared points.

A fast US review and legitimate questions

The US Food and Drug Administration approved Foundayo on 1 April 2026, 50 days after filing, under its Commissioner's National Priority Voucher pilot. The FDA said the pilot shortens review time through closer contact and rolling review without lowering safety standards. A short review is a documented fact. On its own the speed does not show safety was compromised, and the UK decision came four months later through the MHRA's own process.

Staff are entitled to ask sound questions about any new medicine: which population the trials studied, how long patients were followed, what monitoring the licence requires, and what the SmPC says about groups excluded from trials. The guide to approval speed and evidence explains the UK approval process and where to find assessment documents.

Launch pressure at work

A new tablet with heavy press coverage brings waiting lists, phone calls and requests for an opinion before the product information is in hand. The MHRA warned businesses in June 2026 against promoting newly licensed prescription-only weight-loss medicines, or products awaiting a licence, to the public. Waiting lists advertised for products under review fell within the warning.

If you are asked to promote Foundayo, or to supply the tablet against a rushed assessment, the commercial pressure guide and the guide to pressure to prescribe set out how to respond and record your decision.

Reporting side effects

Report suspected side effects and suspected fake tablets to the MHRA Yellow Card scheme (opens another website). Reports carry extra weight for a new active substance, because real-world use in the UK started in 2026. If a service-level problem puts patients at risk, follow the guide to raising patient-safety concerns or the speaking-up guide.

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