UK Approves Foundayo for Weight Loss and Type 2 Diabetes
Britain becomes first European nation to authorise daily orforglipron pill, pending NHS evaluation.
Image: Eddie Pollard / AI
Callum Smith
The UK's MHRA has approved orforglipron, known as Foundayo, a daily pill for weight loss and type 2 diabetes.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) granted approval, making Britain the first European nation to authorize Foundayo.
Foundayo is licensed for adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or those with a BMI between 27 and 30 who also have at least one weight-related condition.
The drug will be authorized for use alongside a reduced-calorie diet; type 2 diabetes patients can also access a prescription if they need assistance controlling blood sugar levels.
Julian Beach, the MHRA's Interim Executive Director of Healthcare Quality and Access, stated, "Following rigorous assessment of orforglipron's safety, quality, and effectiveness, we are pleased to be the first regulator in Europe to authorise this tablet for weight management and type 2 diabetes."
Following rigorous assessment of orforglipron's safety, quality, and effectiveness, we are pleased to be the first regulator in Europe to authorise this tablet for weight management and type 2 diabetes.
Beach further noted, "As with all GLP-1 receptor agonists, this is a prescription-only medication, and the MHRA will keep the safety and effectiveness of orforglipron under close review."
The medication belongs to the GLP-1 receptor agonist class; patients on the orforglipron tablet are understood to lose around 11.2 percent of their body weight after 72 weeks.
Side effects of Foundayo can include nausea, diarrhea, constipation, and vomiting.
The pill is taken once daily with no food or water restrictions; dosage starts at 0.8mg and increases to 17.2mg, requiring a minimum of one month at each level.
Despite regulatory approval, Foundayo is not yet available on the NHS; its accessibility will depend on an assessment by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
Eli Lilly, the manufacturer, claims it will be making an application to NICE in England for the drug to be recommended as a weight loss treatment.
Decisions on NHS use will follow established processes, including an evaluation by NICE, which will assess the drug's cost-effectiveness and overall benefit for public health.