UK becomes first European country to approve Eli Lilly's once-daily weight loss pill Foundayo

Aug 10, 2026

The UK has authorized Eli Lilly's once-daily weight-loss pill Foundayo (orforglipron), becoming the first European country to approve the treatment for obesity and type 2 diabetes. While the GLP-1 receptor agonist offers a convenient oral alternative with no food or water restrictions, it is not yet available on the NHS. The drug must undergo evaluation by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) before public health distribution can begin.

UK approval of Foundayo pill

▪The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency authorized Eli Lilly's once-daily pill Foundayo on August 10, 2026, making the UK the first European country to approve the drug.
▪Foundayo is approved to improve blood sugar levels in adult patients with insufficiently controlled type 2 diabetes.
▪Foundayo, also known as orforglipron, is approved for weight management in adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or a BMI of 27 to 30 with at least one weight-related comorbidity.

Orforglipron dosing schedule

▪The most common side effects of Foundayo include nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, vomiting, dyspepsia, and abdominal pain.
▪Foundayo dosing begins at 0.8mg and escalates through 2.5mg, 5.5mg, 9mg, 14.5mg, and 17.2mg, with patients remaining at each dose level for a minimum of one month.

GLP-1 receptor agonist mechanism

▪Orforglipron is a GLP-1 receptor agonist that helps lower blood sugar levels, slows digestion, and blunts appetite.
▪Unlike some other oral GLP-1 medications, Foundayo can be taken at any time of day with no food or water restrictions.

NHS availability pending NICE

▪Foundayo is not currently available on the NHS and must be evaluated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence before it can be recommended for public health use.
▪Eli Lilly stated it would make an application to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for Foundayo to be recommended as a weight loss treatment.

Comparison with other GLP-1 treatments

▪Clinical trials found that patients who transitioned to daily orforglipron tablets for a year after using weight-loss injections avoided regaining much of their lost weight.
▪The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency previously approved a pill version of the rival weight-loss drug Wegovy in June 2026.