FDA Approves Eli Lilly's Oral GLP-1 Weight Loss Pill Foundayo

The new medication offers patients more flexibility in their treatment approach.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 5:05pm

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The Food and Drug Administration has approved Eli Lilly's oral GLP-1 medication Foundayo for weight loss, making it the second such pill to receive FDA approval after Novo Nordisk's Wegovy. Unlike Wegovy, Foundayo does not have restrictions on when the pill can be taken. Clinical trials found the 36mg dose of Foundayo led to an average 11% body weight loss.

Why it matters

The approval of an oral GLP-1 medication provides patients with a more convenient weight loss treatment option compared to injectable GLP-1 drugs. This could help increase access and adherence to these effective weight loss therapies.

The details

Foundayo, Eli Lilly's new oral GLP-1 drug for weight loss, was approved by the FDA on April 1, 2026. It joins Novo Nordisk's Wegovy as the only two oral GLP-1 medications approved in the US. Unlike Wegovy, which must be taken in the morning 30 minutes before eating, Foundayo has no such restrictions on when it can be taken. Clinical trials found the 36mg dose of Foundayo led to an average 11% body weight loss, while the 12mg and 6mg doses resulted in 8% and less than 8% weight loss, respectively.

  • Foundayo was approved by the FDA on April 1, 2026.
  • Foundayo will be available starting April 6, 2026.

The players

Eli Lilly

A pharmaceutical company that manufactures the new oral GLP-1 medication Foundayo, as well as injectable GLP-1 drugs Zepound and Mounjaro.

Novo Nordisk

A pharmaceutical company that manufactures the oral GLP-1 medication Wegovy, as well as injectable GLP-1 drugs Wegovy and Ozempic.

Deborah Horn

Director of the Center for Obesity Medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, who commented on the flexibility offered by oral GLP-1 medications.

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What they’re saying

“The oral medication offers patients 'greater flexibility in how they approach their treatment'.”

— Deborah Horn, Director of the Center for Obesity Medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston

What’s next

Foundayo will be available starting April 6, 2026 with copays as low as $25 for those with commercial insurance.

The takeaway

The approval of an oral GLP-1 medication like Foundayo provides patients with a more convenient weight loss treatment option compared to injectable GLP-1 drugs, which could help increase access and adherence to these effective therapies.