Jump to: What the UK approval covers | NICE’s decision is expected in November 2026 | When Foundayo could reach the NHS | The type 2 diabetes route is different | Who’s likely to qualify on the NHS | Who Foundayo suits best | What you can do now | Frequently asked questions | Take home message
You can’t get Foundayo (orforglipron) on the NHS yet. The MHRA, the UK’s medicines regulator, approved it on 10th August 2026 for both weight management and type 2 diabetes, making the UK the first country in Europe to license it.1
NHS funding is a separate decision, made by NICE, and that assessment is already underway. NICE’s committee met in July 2026, and its final decision is expected on 18th November 2026.2
If NICE recommends Foundayo, NHS prescriptions would most likely begin during 2027, with stricter eligibility criteria than the licence.
Foundayo isn’t available privately yet either, but you can pre-order it via online programmes like Second Nature and receive your prescription when it’s available, if you’re eligible.
In the meantime, injectable Wegovy and Mounjaro are available now, both on the NHS and privately, if you’re eligible. The Wegovy pill is also available now.
If you aren’t able to purchase GLP-1 medications privately, you might be able to get Second Nature for free on the NHS; find out more on our specialist weight management page here.
Important safety information: Foundayo (orforglipron) is a prescription-only medication for managing obesity in adults and for type 2 diabetes. This article is for informational purposes only. Always consult with your healthcare provider before starting any weight-loss medication.
What the UK approval covers
Foundayo is a once-daily weight-loss tablet made by Eli Lilly, the company behind Mounjaro.
Like Wegovy and Mounjaro, it works by effectively ‘switching on’ the body’s GLP-1 system, which reduces appetite and quiets food noise (the constant intrusive thoughts about food).
In the ATTAIN-1 trial, people taking the highest dose of Foundayo lost an average of 11.2% of their body weight over 72 weeks, compared with 2.1% on placebo.3
The licence covers adults with a BMI of 30 or higher, or a BMI of 27 to 30 with at least one weight-related condition. It also covers improving blood sugar control in adults living with type 2 diabetes.1
Unlike the Wegovy pill, Foundayo can be taken at any time of day, with or without food.1
The Wegovy pill is a modified copy of the GLP-1 hormone, which the stomach would normally break down, so it has to be taken on an empty stomach with strict rules about water and timing.
Foundayo is a standard drug compound that’s absorbed like most other tablets, which is why it doesn’t need to be taken on an empty stomach.
Approval doesn’t make a medication available on the NHS, though. The MHRA decides whether a medication is safe and effective enough to be prescribed in the UK, and NICE decides whether the NHS should pay for it.
Our guide to Foundayo covers how it works, its side effects, and the dosing schedule in more detail.
NICE’s decision is expected in November 2026
NICE’s job is to decide whether the NHS should pay for a medication, by weighing what it costs against the health benefit it brings.
For injectable Wegovy, the decisions came one after the other: the MHRA approved it in September 2021, and NICE’s recommendation followed about 18 months later, in March 2023.4
For Foundayo, the two have overlapped. NICE’s appraisal committee met on 14th July 2026, almost a month before the MHRA announced its approval, and NICE’s timetable lists 18th November 2026 for its final guidance.2
When NICE recommends a medication, the NHS is normally required to start funding it within 3 months.
For weight-loss medications, longer phased rollouts have been agreed instead. Our guide to Mounjaro on the NHS covers the clearest example: GP prescribing started in June 2025, with the highest-need patients first, and the full rollout is planned over 12 years.
NICE’s dates can move, and a recommendation isn’t guaranteed. The committee could recommend Foundayo for a narrower group than the licence, or not at all. Both Wegovy and Mounjaro were recommended with restrictions, so approval with strict criteria is the most likely outcome.
When Foundayo could reach the NHS
There’s no confirmed date yet, but the gap between UK approval and NHS prescriptions looks likely to be shorter for Foundayo than for the other GLP-1 medications before it.
Injectable Wegovy took about 2 years to move from approval to being available on the NHS,4 while Mounjaro took around 19 months.
If NICE recommends Foundayo in November 2026 and the standard 3-month rule applies, the first NHS prescriptions could be written in early 2027.
A phased rollout, as agreed for Mounjaro, would mean the highest-need patients go first, with wider access following over several years.
The Wegovy pill, approved two months before Foundayo, is further behind: NICE hasn’t yet set a date for its assessment. Our guide to the Wegovy pill on the NHS covers where that process stands.
So Foundayo may reach the NHS before the Wegovy pill, even though the Wegovy pill was approved first.
Even if NICE approves Foundayo, availability will still be limited. Most NHS prescribing of weight-loss medications runs through specialist weight management services, which have limited capacity and long waiting lists.
|
Foundayo |
Wegovy pill |
| NHS availability |
Not yet; NICE’s decision is expected on 18th November 20262 |
Not yet, NICE hasn’t set a date for its assessment |
| Private availability |
Once Lilly launches it in the UK; no date announced |
Available now |
| How you take it |
A tablet once a day, at any time, with or without food |
A tablet once a day, on an empty stomach, then a 30-minute wait |
| Average weight loss in trials |
11.2% over 72 weeks (ATTAIN-1)3 |
13.6% over 64 weeks (OASIS 4)5 |
Our Wegovy pill vs Foundayo comparison covers the two tablets in more detail.
The type 2 diabetes route is different
Foundayo’s licence covers type 2 diabetes as well as weight management, and the NHS route for that use has fewer steps.
NICE has decided not to run a separate assessment of Foundayo for type 2 diabetes, because its existing diabetes guidance already recommends GLP-1 medications as a class.6
So once Foundayo launches in the UK, there’s no national funding decision to wait for before NHS diabetes teams can prescribe it. Whether they do will depend on local prescribing lists and the price Lilly sets.
Rybelsus, the lower-dose semaglutide tablet licensed for type 2 diabetes, is already prescribed this way on the NHS.
This route is for people living with type 2 diabetes whose care team is trying to improve their blood sugar control, rather than a way to get Foundayo for weight loss without meeting the weight-management criteria.
Who’s likely to qualify on the NHS
NHS eligibility criteria are stricter than the licence, so being in the licensed group doesn’t guarantee access.
NICE hasn’t published criteria for Foundayo yet. The most likely starting point is the criteria it already uses for injectable Wegovy:4
- A BMI of 35 or higher, with at least one weight-related condition, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or sleep apnoea (interrupted breathing during sleep)
- In some cases, a BMI of 30 to 34.9, if you meet the criteria for referral to a specialist weight management service
- Lower BMI thresholds (usually reduced by 2.5) for people from South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African, or African-Caribbean family backgrounds
- Treatment through a specialist weight management service, rather than directly from your GP
- NHS funding for a maximum of 2 years
NICE could instead follow the approach it took with Mounjaro, where GPs prescribe directly, and the highest-need patients go first. Its decision in November should settle which model applies.
Our free checker asks a few quick questions about your postcode, age, and health, then shows which NHS weight-management support you may qualify for today, and what to do if you’re not eligible.
The 2-year NHS limit is one reason we recommend using time on any weight-loss medication to build the eating, activity, and sleep habits that help to support sustainable weight loss and prevent weight regain.
Who Foundayo suits best
Mounjaro and the 7.2 mg Wegovy injection produce the biggest average weight losses in trials, at 20.2% and 20.7%.7,8
But many people don’t need to lose 20% of their body weight.
In our experience, many people need extra help with their appetite to lose 10 to 15% of their body weight, and to keep it off in the long term.
If you’re in that group, and you’d rather take a tablet at any time of day than have a weekly injection or follow the Wegovy pill’s morning fasting routine, Foundayo is likely to suit you.
Foundayo is also an option for people coming off Mounjaro or Wegovy injections.
In the ATTAIN-MAINTAIN trial, people who switched to Foundayo after losing weight on Mounjaro or Wegovy injections kept off around 75 to 79% of the weight they’d lost over the following year, compared with 38 to 49% of those who switched to placebo.9
If the largest possible weight loss is your priority, Mounjaro or the 7.2 mg Wegovy injection may suit you better.
If you want the most effective tablet, the Wegovy pill produced more average weight loss than Foundayo (13.6% versus 11.2%), though it comes with strict rules about food and water timing.5,3
What you can do now
Foundayo can’t be prescribed anywhere in the UK until Lilly launches it, but other GLP-1 medications are already available.
- Check whether you’d qualify today: injectable Wegovy and Mounjaro are both available on the NHS and privately, each with different criteria. The free checker above shows what you may qualify for in about a minute.
- Talk to your GP about the NHS route: GPs can refer you to a specialist weight management service, and for Mounjaro, can sometimes prescribe directly. In some areas, Second Nature is an approved specialist (Tier 3) provider you can ask to be referred to. Our guide on how to talk to your GP about your weight covers how to prepare for that conversation.
- Pre-order Foundayo: Second Nature has worked with the NHS since 2017, and offers Foundayo alongside its structured habit-change programme. Pre-order Foundayo here, and a clinician will review your answers before your order is confirmed.
Frequently asked questions
Is Foundayo available on the NHS now?
No. Foundayo was approved in the UK on 10th August 2026, but NHS availability requires a NICE recommendation, and NICE’s decision is expected on 18th November 2026.1,2
When will Foundayo be available on the NHS?
Possibly from early 2027, if NICE recommends it in November 2026.
When NICE recommends a medication, NHS funding normally follows within 3 months, though phased rollouts have been agreed for weight-loss medications before, as with Mounjaro.
Can my GP prescribe Foundayo?
Not yet, because Foundayo isn’t available in the UK until Eli Lilly launches it, and it isn’t funded on the NHS.
Once it launches, private prescribers can offer it. Whether GPs will ever prescribe it on the NHS depends on NICE’s decision: Wegovy runs through specialist services, while Mounjaro is prescribed by GPs in phases.
Who’s likely to qualify for Foundayo on the NHS?
If NICE follows its approach to injectable Wegovy, the likely criteria are a BMI of 35 or higher with at least one weight-related condition, or a BMI of 30 to 34.9 if you meet the criteria for a specialist referral, with treatment limited to 2 years within a specialist service.4
Can I get Foundayo on the NHS for type 2 diabetes?
Not yet, because Foundayo hasn’t launched in the UK.
Once it’s available, the diabetes route doesn’t need a new NICE assessment, because NICE’s existing guidance recommends GLP-1 medications for type 2 diabetes as a class. Prescribing will depend on local NHS decisions and the price Lilly sets.6
Can I buy Foundayo privately now that it’s approved?
Not yet. Approval means private prescribing can start once Eli Lilly launches Foundayo in the UK, and the company hasn’t announced a launch date.
Private providers are expected to offer it before the NHS does, as happened with the Wegovy pill, injectable Wegovy, and Mounjaro.
How much will Foundayo cost in the UK?
Eli Lilly hasn’t announced a UK price. Each private provider will set its own monthly cost once it launches, as happens with the Wegovy pill and Mounjaro.
We’ll update this guide when UK prices are announced.
Is Foundayo as effective as the Wegovy pill?
The Wegovy pill produced more average weight loss in its main trial: 13.6% over 64 weeks in OASIS 4, compared with 11.2% over 72 weeks for Foundayo in ATTAIN-1.5,3
The two haven’t been directly compared in the same trial, so the difference is a guide rather than a precise gap.
The most common side effects are the same for both: nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, and other digestive symptoms.1
Foundayo’s advantage is practical: no rules about food, water, or timing.
Is Foundayo as effective as Wegovy or Mounjaro injections?
The injections produce more average weight loss. Mounjaro produced 20.2% over 72 weeks when directly compared with injectable Wegovy, and the higher 7.2 mg Wegovy dose produced 20.7% in its own trial.7,8
Whether that difference is relevant depends on how much weight you need to lose.
For many people, losing 10 to 15% is enough to improve weight-related conditions like high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, and Foundayo’s average of 11.2% is within that range.
Can I get Foundayo on the NHS if I start it privately?
Not automatically, as you can’t transfer a private prescription to the NHS.
You’d need to meet the NHS criteria once they’re published, and in most cases be referred to a specialist weight management service. Many people continue privately while they wait.
How is Foundayo taken?
One tablet a day, at any time, with or without food and water.
Doses start at 0.8 mg and increase roughly every month through 2.5 mg, 5.5 mg, 9 mg, and 14.5 mg, up to a maximum of 17.2 mg.1
Not everyone needs the highest dose. Your prescriber may recommend staying on a lower dose if you’re losing weight sustainably and managing side effects.
Is Foundayo the same as Mounjaro?
No. Both are made by Eli Lilly, but Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a weekly injection that mimics two hormones (GLP-1 and GIP), while Foundayo (orforglipron) is a daily tablet that mimics one (GLP-1).
Mounjaro produces more average weight loss. Foundayo is an option if you’d rather avoid injections and don’t need to lose more than 15% body weight.
Take home message
You can’t get Foundayo on the NHS yet, and you can’t buy it privately until Eli Lilly launches it in the UK.
The NHS decision is already scheduled, though. NICE’s committee met in July, and its final guidance is expected on 18th November 2026. If it recommends Foundayo, NHS prescriptions would most likely begin during 2027, with strict eligibility criteria.
If you’re living with type 2 diabetes, Foundayo may reach you by a different route, because NICE’s existing diabetes guidance already covers GLP-1 medications as a class.
If you don’t want to wait, injectable Wegovy and Mounjaro are available now on the NHS and privately, and the Wegovy pill is available privately.
Whichever route you take, the research suggests you’re more likely to avoid weight regain when a medication is combined with structured habit support than when it’s prescribed on its own.
At Second Nature, we combine weight-loss medication with structured habit support from registered dietitians and nutritionists, and we’ve worked with the NHS for over eight years.
In a published study of our semaglutide-supported programme, members lost an average of 19.1% of their body weight at 12 months, and 77.7% lost at least 10%.10
Second Nature's Mounjaro and Wegovy programmes
Second Nature provides Mounjaro or Wegovy as part of our Mounjaro and Wegovy weight-loss programmes.
Why choose Second Nature over other medication providers, assuming you're eligible?
Because peace of mind matters.
We've had the privilege of working with the NHS for over eight years, helping people across the UK take meaningful steps toward a healthier, happier life.
Our programmes are designed to meet people where they are, whether that means support with weight loss through compassionate one-to-one health coaching, or access to the latest weight-loss medications (like Mounjaro and Wegovy) delivered alongside expert care from a multidisciplinary team of doctors, psychologists, dietitians, and personal trainers.
At the heart of everything we do is a simple belief: real, lasting change comes from building better habits, not relying on quick fixes. We're here to support that change every step of the way.
With over a decade of experience, thousands of lives changed, and a long-standing record of delivering programmes used by the NHS, we believe we're the UK's most trusted weight-loss programme.
We hope to offer you something invaluable: peace of mind, and the support you need to take that first step.
References
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. (2026). UK first in Europe to authorise orforglipron for weight management and type 2 diabetes.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Orforglipron for managing overweight and obesity [ID6516]: project information.
- Wharton, S., Aronne, L.J., Stefanski, A., et al. (2025). Orforglipron, an oral small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist for obesity treatment. New England Journal of Medicine, 393(18), 1796-1806. (ATTAIN-1 trial)
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2023). Semaglutide for managing overweight and obesity. Technology Appraisal TA875.
- Wharton, S., Lingvay, I., Bogdanski, P., et al. (2025). Oral semaglutide at a dose of 25 mg in adults with overweight or obesity. New England Journal of Medicine, 393(11), 1077-1087. (OASIS 4 trial)
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Orforglipron for treating type 2 diabetes [TSID12130]: project information.
- Aronne, L.J., Horn, D.B., le Roux, C.W., et al. (2025). Tirzepatide as compared with semaglutide for the treatment of obesity. New England Journal of Medicine, 393(1), 26-36. (SURMOUNT-5 trial)
- Wharton, S., Freitas, P., Hjelmesæth, J., et al. (2025). Once-weekly semaglutide 7.2 mg in adults with obesity (STEP UP): a randomised, controlled, phase 3b trial. Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 13(11), 949-963. (STEP UP trial)
- Aronne, L.J., Horn, D.B., le Roux, C.W., et al. (2026). Orforglipron for maintenance of body weight reduction: the double-blind, randomized phase 3b ATTAIN-MAINTAIN trial. Nature Medicine, 32(7), 2679-2687.
- Richards, R., Whitman, M., Wren, G., et al. (2025). A Remotely Delivered GLP-1RA-Supported Specialist Weight Management Program in Adults Living With Obesity: Retrospective Service Evaluation. JMIR Formative Research, 9(1), e72577.
