Key Takeaway:
- UK approves Foundayo: Eli Lilly’s daily Foundayo weight loss pill becomes the first oral GLP-1 approved in Europe.
- NHS access remains pending: Private prescriptions are allowed, but NHS availability for weight loss requires further NICE review.
- Convenience may boost access: Experts highlight its flexible dosing, potential lower cost, and ability to help maintain weight loss.
Britain on Monday approved Eli Lilly’s daily Foundayo pill for obesity and Type 2 diabetes, making the UK the first European country to authorize the oral GLP-1 treatment, which can be prescribed privately but is not yet available through the National Health Service.
MHRA Clears Foundayo For Private Prescriptions
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approved the Foundayo weight loss pill, also known as orforglipron, for weight management and Type 2 diabetes. The once-daily medicine works by activating GLP-1 receptors, helping reduce appetite and food intake.
The approval allows private prescriptions but does not automatically provide access to the NHS. Eli Lilly said the NHS can immediately use the medicine for Type 2 diabetes, while the company plans to seek a recommendation from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for its use as a weight-loss treatment.
Foundayo is the second GLP-1 weight-loss pill approved in Britain. The MHRA approved Novo Nordisk’s oral Wegovy, which contains semaglutide, in June.
Experts Highlight Convenience And Cost
Dr. Simon Cork of Anglia Ruskin University said the Foundayo weight loss pill may result in less weight loss than some existing treatments but could still deliver “significant, clinically meaningful changes to their weight.”
Cork also said the pill’s potential lower cost could make it important in a market where access to weight-loss medicines through the NHS has been restricted.
Prof. Naveed Sattar of the University of Glasgow called the approval “good news,” citing the convenience of an oral treatment that can be taken at any time of day.
“The arrival of another effective oral option is a positive development and should help more people access treatment that best suits their needs and preferences,” Sattar said.
Unlike the oral Wegovy formulation, the Foundayo weight loss pill does not require patients to take it on an empty stomach, according to reporting on the approval.
Pill May Help Maintain Weight Loss
Researchers are also examining whether the Foundayo weight loss pill can help people maintain weight after stopping injectable weight-loss medicines. Trials found that patients who switched from weight-loss injections to daily orforglipron were able to avoid substantial weight regain over a year, according to the supplied study findings.
That could make the medicine an option for people who want to transition from injectable GLP-1 treatments to a daily tablet.
Foundayo is not free of side effects. Reported adverse effects include nausea, diarrhea, constipation and vomiting. Patients using weight-loss medicines are also advised to maintain a healthy diet and get regular physical activity.
The UK approval intensifies competition between Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk as pharmaceutical companies expand GLP-1 treatments from weekly injections into daily oral medicines.
