UK becomes first European country to approve daily weight-loss pill Foundayo

The UK has become the first country in Europe to approve Foundayo, a new once-daily pill for weight management and type 2 diabetes.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) authorised orforglipron, sold under the brand name Foundayo, on Monday, 10 August.

Developed by Eli Lilly, the medicine is a GLP-1 receptor agonist but, unlike widely used weight-loss treatments such as Mounjaro, it is taken as a tablet rather than an injection.

For weight management, Foundayo has been approved for adults living with obesity, as well as adults who are overweight and have at least one weight-related health condition. It is intended to be used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.

The tablet is taken once a day and can be taken at any time, without restrictions around food or water.

Clinical trial results showed people without diabetes taking the highest dose lost an average of around 11% of their body weight over 72 weeks.

However, MHRA approval does not mean the drug will immediately become available through the NHS.

Foundayo will now need to go through the relevant assessment process before a decision is made about whether it should be routinely funded by the health service.

Private prescriptions are expected to become available in the UK later this month.

The approval adds another option to the rapidly expanding market for GLP-1 weight-management treatments and could appeal particularly to people who would prefer a daily tablet to a weekly injection.

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