The Eli Lilly Pill

Posted on July 31, 2026 by Sally-Anne Turner

The Eli Lilly Pill: What We Know So Far at the Bodyline Clinic

In 2026, the release of the Wegovy pill in the UK has been enormous.

Novo Nordisk has written over 600,000 prescriptions for it, and many pharmacies are predicting that they may run into shortages due to demand.

Of course, in the world of weight loss and pharmaceuticals, nothing stays still for long. This coming autumn in the UK, another weight loss pill is scheduled to be released, and it is predicted to make as many waves as the Wegovy pill has.

From the company Eli Lilly (the team behind the Mounjaro injection), this new weight loss tablet is going to be sold under the brand name Foundayo, with the medicine itself being called orforglipron. It's currently approved by the FDA in the United States, and over there, it is changing the game of oral weight loss options for people who are overweight.

At the Bodyline Clinic, we are always eager to add new medications to our weight loss clinic, as we know that there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all weight loss journey.

So, what do we know about this pill so far?

The Launch Date

At the time of writing, it is predicted that this oral weight loss medication will be released in early autumn of 2026. Eli Lilly has submitted the drug for review in the UK.

1. Private prescriptions are predicted to come in later in 2026, post-MHRA approval.
2. The NHS is not likely to prescribe this medication until at least 2027, after NICE has conducted a review.

This is not new. Oral semaglutide and even Ozempic were available in the UK via the private market first. For any medication to become part of NHS weight loss treatments, there has to be an additional assessment from NICE to look into whether the medication should have funding from the public health service.

What's In It?

A core question: what's in the pill?

It's easy to assume that all weight loss treatments have the same core ingredients. The Wegovy pill's active ingredient is semaglutide. Mounjaro is tirzepatide. With Foundayo, the main ingredient is orforglipron. This is a non-peptide, small molecule.

Orforglipron is a GLP-1 receptor agonist which, like other medications in this group, binds to and activates the same receptors as the body's glucagon-like peptide-1 hormone. This drug is not derived from a natural hormone. It is synthetically designed to fit into the GLP-1 receptor but activates it in the same way.

This helps to:

1. Increase insulin when blood sugar is high or spiking.
2. Reduce glucagon that is released by the liver.
3. Slow gastric emptying.
4. Reduce appetite by activating parts of the brain involved in food cessation.

It works on the same structure as semaglutide, but the chemical structure is totally different.

Side Effects: What Are They?

If it has a different structure from other weight loss medications, you may be curious about the side effects that those who have taken it in the US have experienced.

The FDA lists the following as the most common side effects of Foundayo:

1. Gastrointestinal: nausea, stomach (abdominal) pain, heartburn, constipation, flatulence, bloating, loose stools and diarrhoea, vomiting and indigestion.
2. Headache.
3. Belching (burping).
4. Feeling tired (fatigue).
5. Hair loss (reported in clinical trials).

If you've read our piece on the Wegovy pill side effects, you will notice that these are almost the same. Indeed, it seems that the majority of the effects people have experienced are again related to stomach issues.

According to a Phase 3 ACHIEVE-1 trial of this drug, gastrointestinal side effects were most common, with 26% of people experiencing diarrhoea, 16% experiencing nausea and 15% having indigestion.

So, How Is It Different?

OK, let's be honest. A lot of the weight loss medications that we offer at the Bodyline Clinic look the same. At a glance anyway!

How is the Eli Lilly pill different to the Wegovy pill, you ask? In the Phase 3 ATTAIN-1 trial, people taking the highest approved maintenance dose of Foundayo (17.2 mg) lost an average of 11.1% of their body weight over 72 weeks, while lower doses produced average weight losses of 7.4% and 8.3%.

What makes this pill different to the current oral weight loss medication is how it is taken. With Foundayo, it is designed to be taken once daily without food restrictions, fasting or delays. This will make the entire process around losing weight with medications easier to slip into a daily routine.

Dosages and Titration

The dosing schedule for this drug has so far been approved by the FDA. It should be noted that when it comes to the UK later this year, it may be slightly different, based on MHRA guidelines.

1. Days 1–30: 0.8 mg once daily
2. Days 31–60: 2.5 mg once daily
3. Days 61–90: 5.5 mg once daily
4. After Day 90: Increase to 9 mg, then 14.5 mg and 17.2 mg
5. Maximum dose: 17.2 mg once daily

Patients need to stay on each dose for at least 30 days before moving to the next. Higher doses of the drug should only be taken if well tolerated and clinically necessary.

Unlike Wegovy, at the time of writing, there is no single maintenance dose. Patients are advised to take the lowest effective dose to reach their weight loss goals.

Unlike semaglutide, orforglipron also has minimal restrictions around how it is taken:

1. Must be taken once daily.
2. Can be taken with or without food.
3. Can be taken at any time of day.
4. Tablets should be swallowed whole — no crushing, splitting or chewing.
5. Do not take more than one tablet per day.

Who Is It Aimed At?

So, when this medication comes to the UK, who is it going to help?

Based on the information coming out of the US, those who will take it are likely to be:

1. Adults with obesity: a BMI of 30 kg/m² or higher.
2. Adults who are overweight: a BMI of 27 kg/m² or above.
3. Adults who are overweight and have a weight-related health condition (type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obstructive sleep apnoea).

In the US, it has been prescribed to people who have other obesity-related health issues. When it comes to the UK, this may be the case but will be at the discretion of the healthcare provider or prescribing company.

Like the Wegovy pill, it is designed to be taken alongside lifestyle changes, which should be monitored. So, it makes sense that when it comes to the UK, it will likely be advised for use alongside:

1. A reduced-calorie diet
2. Increased physical activity

So, the world of weight loss medication is due to have another pill which aims to simplify the process even more. And at the Bodyline Clinic, we are ecstatic about the upcoming release! We know that weight loss can be a hard journey and, even with our 18 years of expertise in this area and over 100,000 happy patients from across the UK, we know that each weight loss experience is different.

If you are eager to learn about the treatments we have available to help you lose weight, or simply want to explore other weight loss options, feel free to contact us today.

FAQs

What Is In the Eli Lilly Pill?

Orforglipron is the main ingredient in the Foundayo pill. This is a synthetic non-peptide, small molecule which activates the same receptors in the body as the naturally occurring glucagon-like peptide-1 hormone.

What Are the Side Effects?

The most common side effects are noted to be:

1. Gastrointestinal: nausea, vomiting, constipation, loose stools, heartburn and stomach pain.
2. Headaches.
3. Exhaustion.
4. Hair loss.

Can I Eat When I Take It?

Yes! You can also drink when you take it, provided that you take it every day. You can even take it at a different time each day, making it easier to fit around busy schedules.