Lilly says more than 80% of Foundayo prescriptions went to first-time GLP-1 patients
Lilly's own launch data suggest the oral GLP-1 pill is reaching people who had not previously used these medicines, though the figure has not been checked against outside prescription data.
Eli Lilly says more than 80% of prescriptions for its oral obesity drug Foundayo (orforglipron) have been written for patients with no prior history of GLP-1 use [1][2]. The company disclosed the figure as part of commentary on its expanding obesity portfolio, arguing that the oral product expands the treated population rather than pulling patients away from its injectable Zepbound (tirzepatide) [1][2].
Foundayo is an oral anti-obesity medicine that was approved in April [1][2]. Zepbound, Lilly's first approved weight-loss drug, is a once-weekly injectable [1][2]. Lilly has framed the two products as serving different patients, with the pill aimed partly at people who do not want to use needles [1][2].
The 80% figure is Lilly's own disclosure. It has not been independently verified against outside prescription-tracking data, such as IQVIA figures or telehealth-channel data, and no total prescription count for Foundayo has been reported [1]. The sources also do not say how the 80% breaks down by insurance type, cash payers or pharmacy channel, or how many of those first-time patients stayed on the drug after starting.
Lilly reported the figure alongside strong overall results. Second-quarter revenue grew 48% from a year earlier to $23 billion, driven by Zepbound and by Mounjaro, its diabetes drug [1][2]. Adjusted earnings per share were $8.38, 33% higher than the prior-year quarter [1][2]. Mounjaro and Zepbound accounted for 65% of Lilly's revenue as of the second quarter [1][2]. The company raised its full-year 2026 revenue guidance to between $85 billion and $87 billion, up from a previous range of $82 billion to $85 billion [1][2].
Lilly's obesity pipeline includes several other products at different stages. Retatrutide, an investigational next-generation medicine, has shown what the company describes as better results than Zepbound in phase 3 data, along with reductions in A1C levels in patients with diabetes and improvements in obstructive sleep apnea and knee osteoarthritis pain [1][2]. Retatrutide is not approved. Lilly has granted early access to some patients who are over 18, are ineligible for retatrutide clinical trials, have refractory obesity and have at least two serious or life-threatening obesity-related conditions [1][2].
Eloralintide is a separate investigational drug that is not a GLP-1. It mimics the amylin hormone, which also helps regulate fullness, and in a phase 2 study posted weight-loss results in the range seen with GLP-1s with improved tolerability, according to the company [1][2]. Lilly is also studying medicines that could be given less often than once a week and combinations for patients who have obesity along with conditions such as psoriatic arthritis [1][2].
Why it matters for patients
For adults weighing whether to start a GLP-1 medicine, Lilly's disclosure is a signal about who is actually using the newest option. A pill that reaches people who had never tried an injectable suggests the treated group is getting broader, not just shifting from one Lilly product to another [1][2]. That matters for anyone who has hesitated over injections or who has had trouble tolerating them.
It does not answer several practical questions. The disclosure says nothing about how well Foundayo works for those new patients, how long they stay on it, what it costs them, or whether their insurance covers it. It also does not show whether the 80% reflects genuine new demand or patients switching from a competitor's GLP-1, since the figure covers only prior GLP-1 use, not which product was used [1]. Whether the pattern holds as Foundayo's launch continues has not been reported.
What happens next
Lilly has not disclosed a total Foundayo prescription volume or a date for an independent sales report. Retatrutide remains unapproved, and no regulatory decision date has been reported [1][2]. Eloralintide's results so far come from a phase 2 study, with later-stage testing timelines not given [1][2].
Sources
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