Foundayo

What Is Foundayo (Orforglipron)? The GLP-1 Pill Explained

Foundayo is Eli Lilly's once-daily GLP-1 pill for weight management, approved by the FDA on April 1, 2026. Here is what it is, how it works, what the label says about doses, and how it differs from every other GLP-1 on the market.

Last verified September 14, 2026·10 sources cited

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If you have been following weight-loss medicine news, you have probably seen the word “orforglipron” for a couple of years and the word “Foundayo” only since spring 2026. They are the same drug. Orforglipron is the generic name. Foundayo is the brand name Eli Lilly gave it when the FDA approved it on April 1, 2026 [1][2].

Foundayo is a once-daily tablet for chronic weight management in adults. It is not semaglutide and it is not tirzepatide. It belongs to the same broad family as those drugs, the GLP-1 receptor agonists, but it is built out of different chemistry, and that difference shows up in real, practical ways: how you take it, how it is made, and what can interact with it.

Here is what the label and the trials actually say.

What exactly is Foundayo?

Foundayo is the brand name for orforglipron, a non-peptide small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist [1]. Unpack that phrase and you have most of the story.

GLP-1 receptor agonist means it switches on the same receptor that the natural gut hormone GLP-1 uses. That receptor sits in parts of the brain that regulate appetite and how much you eat [1].
Small molecule means it is a conventional chemical compound, the kind you can build in a chemistry plant and press into a tablet. Semaglutide and tirzepatide are peptides, short chains of amino acids, which are far more complicated and slower to manufacture.
Non-peptide is the same point said a different way, and it is the reason Foundayo has no food or water timing rules.

The molecule was not discovered at Lilly. Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. of Japan found it, and Lilly licensed it in 2018. The two companies published the structural biology of how it activates the human GLP-1 receptor in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2020 [2][3].

Unlike tirzepatide, which hits two receptors (GLP-1 and GIP), orforglipron works at the GLP-1 receptor only [1].

What is Foundayo approved for?

The FDA-approved indication is specific. Foundayo is indicated, in combination with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, to reduce excess body weight and maintain weight reduction long term in adults with obesity, or adults with overweight who also have at least one weight-related health condition [1].

The label adds one limitation of use: it is not recommended to take Foundayo along with another GLP-1 receptor agonist [1].

Things Foundayo is not approved for in the US as of September 2026:

Type 2 diabetes. Lilly’s second-quarter 2026 earnings release (August 5, 2026) lists the US type 2 diabetes submission for orforglipron among that quarter’s regulatory progress, and the FDA has announced no decision as of September 14, 2026 [4][11].
Anyone under 18. Safety and effectiveness have not been established in children [1].
Reducing heart attacks and strokes. The Wegovy pill and injection carry that indication; Foundayo does not [1].
Obstructive sleep apnea, knee osteoarthritis pain, high blood pressure or peripheral artery disease, all of which are in Phase 3 testing [2].

The United Kingdom went further than the FDA. On August 10, 2026 the MHRA authorized orforglipron for both weight management and type 2 diabetes, making the UK the first country in Europe to approve it [5].

How does Foundayo work in the body?

The label describes it plainly. Foundayo binds to and activates the human GLP-1 receptor. GLP-1 is a natural regulator of appetite and calorie intake, and in animal studies orforglipron reached and activated neurons in the brain regions that control appetite and food intake [1].

The downstream effects the label lists:

It reduces body weight, with greater fat-mass loss than lean-mass loss.
It decreases food intake, an effect the label says is likely driven by decreased appetite.
It delays gastric emptying, meaning food leaves the stomach more slowly. The label notes this delay is largest after the very first dose and lessens over time [1].

That last point explains a lot about side effects. Slower stomach emptying is part of why people feel full sooner, and it is also why nausea, burping and constipation are the most common complaints, especially in the first weeks and right after each dose increase.

The label also records that at 1.4 times the peak blood level produced by the maximum 17.2 mg dose, no clinically significant heart-rhythm (QTc) prolongation was seen [1].

Why can you take Foundayo any time of day, with or without food?

This is the single biggest practical difference between Foundayo and the other GLP-1 pill on the US market.

Oral semaglutide tablets, sold as Rybelsus for diabetes and as Wegovy tablets for weight management, are peptides. To get a peptide through the stomach intact, Novo Nordisk formulates it with an absorption enhancer, and the label requires taking the tablet on an empty stomach with no more than 4 ounces of plain water, then waiting at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking anything else, or taking other oral medicines.

Orforglipron does not need any of that. Its label says simply: take it orally once daily, with or without food [1].

Lilly ran a dedicated food-effect study to support the claim. Taking an investigational 37.5 mg orforglipron tablet with food lowered total drug exposure by 19% and peak concentration by 26% compared with fasting, while the time to peak and the half-life were unchanged. The label’s conclusion is that “no clinically relevant food effect on orforglipron exposure was observed” [1][6]. Absolute oral bioavailability is about 77% [1].

The same section records that the acid-reducing drug esomeprazole had no effect on orforglipron exposure, so stomach acid medicines are not a scheduling problem either [1].

What are the Foundayo doses?

Foundayo comes in six strengths, each in a bottle of 30 tablets with a desiccant packet and a child-resistant cap [1]:

Strength	What the tablet looks like
0.8 mg	pink, round, debossed L / G1
2.5 mg	light yellow, round, debossed L / G2
5.5 mg	grayish purple, round, debossed L / G3
9 mg	pink, modified oval, debossed Lilly / G4
14.5 mg	light yellow, modified oval, debossed Lilly / G5
17.2 mg	grayish purple, modified oval, debossed Lilly / G6

The label’s escalation schedule is a staircase [1][7]:

Start at 0.8 mg once daily.
After at least 30 days, increase to 2.5 mg.
After at least 30 days on 2.5 mg, increase to 5.5 mg.
From there, the dose may go up to the next level (9 mg, then 14.5 mg, then 17.2 mg) after at least 30 days at the current level, based on how well it is working and how well it is tolerated.
The maximum is 17.2 mg once daily.

That means reaching the top dose takes at least five steps and roughly five months. The label is explicit that the staircase exists to reduce gastrointestinal side effects [1].

Other rules the label sets out: tablets are swallowed whole and are not to be broken, crushed or chewed, and no more than one tablet is taken per day. For a missed dose, the label says it should be taken as soon as possible and that doses are not doubled. If seven or more consecutive doses are missed, the label directs prescribers to reinitiate dosage escalation at a lower dosage [1].

This section summarizes the FDA-approved prescribing information and Instructions for Use. It is not a recommendation about what anyone should take. Follow the directions on your own prescription and your prescriber’s instructions, which may differ from the general schedule above.

Why do the trials say “36 mg” when the highest tablet is 17.2 mg?

This trips up almost everyone who reads 2025 news coverage.

Every Phase 3 trial of orforglipron was run with an investigational capsule, dosed at 1, 3, 6, 12, 24 and 36 mg. The product you can actually buy is a tablet, dosed at 0.8, 2.5, 5.5, 9, 14.5 and 17.2 mg. Lilly states in the label that it presents the trial data “shown as equivalent dosages of once daily FOUNDAYO,” and its ACHIEVE-4 release spells out that the 1 mg capsule corresponds to the 0.8 mg tablet and the 36 mg capsule to the 17.2 mg tablet [1][4].

The full mapping Lilly uses across its own 2026 communications:

Trial capsule	Foundayo tablet
1 mg	0.8 mg
3 mg	2.5 mg
6 mg	5.5 mg
12 mg	9 mg
24 mg	14.5 mg
36 mg	17.2 mg

So when a headline from 2025 says “orforglipron 36 mg produced 12.4% weight loss,” it is describing the same exposure as the 17.2 mg Foundayo tablet on today’s shelf. From June 2026 onward Lilly restated its trial results in tablet numbers, which is why you will see both sets of figures floating around.

What kind of weight loss did Foundayo produce in trials?

The pivotal obesity trial, ATTAIN-1, enrolled 3,127 adults with obesity or overweight plus a weight-related condition and ran for 72 weeks. At the highest dose, participants who stayed on treatment lost an average of 27.3 pounds, or 12.4% — the efficacy estimand — compared with 2.2 pounds (0.9%) on placebo. Counting everyone regardless of whether they stayed on the drug, the treatment-regimen estimand reported in the New England Journal of Medicine was 11.2%, roughly 25 pounds, versus 2.1% (roughly 5 pounds) on placebo. The FDA label’s own intent-to-treat analysis prints 11.1% versus 2.1% [1][2][8].

At the top dose, 59.6% of participants lost at least 10% of their body weight and 39.6% lost at least 15% on the efficacy estimand [8]; the label’s intent-to-treat table prints 54.5% and 35.9% against 13% and 6% on placebo [1]. Under the efficacy estimand, waist circumference fell about 4.4 inches, systolic blood pressure about 6.7 mm Hg, and triglycerides 21.6% [8]; the label’s intent-to-treat table prints a 10.0 cm waist reduction (versus 3.1 cm on placebo) and a 6.4 mm Hg systolic fall (versus 1.4 mm Hg) at the top dose [1].

One design detail matters when you compare these numbers with other trials: Lilly describes ATTAIN-1 as the first Phase 3 trial in this population to be run as an adjunct to exercise and a balanced, healthy diet rather than a reduced-calorie diet [8]. There is a fuller breakdown in our article on what the Foundayo trials show.

How do you get Foundayo, and what does it cost?

Foundayo has been available since April 2026 through LillyDirect with free home delivery, through retail pharmacies, and through telehealth providers [9]. LillyDirect is Lilly’s own pharmacy platform and dispenses only Lilly products, which is worth knowing when you see it recommended.

Self-pay prices run from $149 a month at the starting dose up to $349 at the top doses (verified 2026-09-14), with temporary reductions and a refill program that can bring the top doses to $299. Those are point prices per dose, not a range within a dose. People with commercial insurance that covers Foundayo may pay as little as $25 a month with Lilly’s savings card — a savings-card tier, not a cash price, and one that requires the plan to cover the drug — and eligible Medicare Part D beneficiaries can access it for $50 a month through the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge [2][9]. Lilly’s published list price behind all of that is $649 for a 30-day supply [12]. Our dedicated cost guide walks through every route.

The bottom line

Foundayo is the first GLP-1 pill built from a small molecule rather than a peptide, and the first one you can swallow whenever you like without counting ounces of water or watching a clock. In its pivotal trial it produced about 12% average weight loss at the top dose over 72 weeks, which is meaningful but below what the leading injectable produces in its own trials. It carries the same class boxed warning as other GLP-1 drugs, the same gastrointestinal side-effect profile, and a longer, six-step dose ladder than most.

Whether it is a reasonable option for you depends on your health history, your other medicines, your insurance and your preferences. That is a conversation for a healthcare provider, not a web page.

Sources

Questions people ask

What is Foundayo?

Foundayo is the brand name for orforglipron, a once-daily tablet from Eli Lilly. The FDA approved it on April 1, 2026 for adults with obesity, or adults with overweight who also have at least one weight-related health condition, alongside a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity.

Is Foundayo the same as Ozempic or Wegovy?

No. Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus all contain semaglutide. Foundayo contains orforglipron, a completely different molecule from a different chemical class. They belong to the same drug family, GLP-1 receptor agonists, but they are not interchangeable.

How do you pronounce Foundayo?

Eli Lilly writes the pronunciation as fown-DAY-oh. The generic name is pronounced or-for-GLIP-ron.

Do you have to take Foundayo on an empty stomach?

No. The label says to take Foundayo orally once daily, with or without food. That is the main practical difference from oral semaglutide tablets, which must be taken fasting with no more than 4 ounces of water and at least 30 minutes before eating or drinking anything else.

What doses does Foundayo come in?

Six tablet strengths: 0.8 mg, 2.5 mg, 5.5 mg, 9 mg, 14.5 mg and 17.2 mg. The FDA-approved label describes starting at 0.8 mg with a step up no sooner than every 30 days, and 17.2 mg as the maximum. Which strength a person is prescribed, and when it changes, is a decision for their prescriber.

Is Foundayo approved for type 2 diabetes?

Not in the United States, as of September 14, 2026. Lilly's second-quarter 2026 earnings release, published August 5, 2026, lists 'the submission for orforglipron for type 2 diabetes in the U.S.' among the quarter's regulatory progress. The FDA has announced no decision. The United Kingdom approved orforglipron for both weight management and type 2 diabetes on August 10, 2026.

Does Foundayo need to be refrigerated?

No. It is stored at room temperature, 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit, with short excursions allowed between 59 and 86 degrees. It comes in a bottle of 30 tablets with a desiccant packet.

Who discovered orforglipron?

Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. of Japan discovered it. Eli Lilly licensed it in 2018, and the two companies co-published how the molecule activates the human GLP-1 receptor in 2020.

This article summarizes FDA labeling, published research and company information current as of September 14, 2026. It is not medical advice and does not replace a conversation with your own healthcare provider. How we research and verify.