What You Need to Know About Oral Contraceptives and Foundayo

Posted on August 28, 2026 by

As we head into September, our team at the Bodyline Clinic is getting ready to introduce our patients to the Eli Lilly pill.

Named Foundayo, orforglipron can be taken at any time of the day, doesn't require a fasting period as the Wegovy pill does, and has been found in clinical trials to help people lose up to 11.1% of their body weight on the highest dose.

What more do you need to know? Well, if you are a woman in the UK who takes oral contraceptives, there are a few things. Whereas the Wegovy pill was not noted to impact oral contraception, the Eli Lilly pill has a bit of a complex relationship with this medication. And our team at the Bodyline Clinic think you need to know about it!

Yes, we have 18 years of experience helping people to lose weight, and we have helped over 100,000 people to hit their weight loss goals across the UK. However, we want to help as many of our patients as possible to understand GLP-1s and help them make informed decisions. Our expert clinical team are able to tailor your treatments to your specific needs and aim to keep everything from side effects to medication issues to a bare minimum.

So, what's the deal with the Foundayo tablet and oral contraceptives?

What Is Foundayo/Orforglipron?

Quick recap first. Orforglipron (brand name Foundayo) is a once-daily oral tablet that has been developed by Eli Lilly. As a GLP-1, it is designed to suppress appetite and to help people manage obesity or help adults who are overweight and have one weight-related condition.

Unlike many of the other GLP-1 medications, which are peptide-based and need to be injected, orforglipron is a non-peptide, small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist. This makes it stable in pill form and means you can take it with or without food.

Orforglipron and Oral Contraceptives

In the UK, according to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) in 2024, as many as 21% of women are taking oral contraception. This ranges from the combination pill (oestrogen and progesterone) to the "mini" pill, which is composed of just progesterone.

Common brands of the combination pill in the UK include Microgynon, Yasmin, Rigevidon, Marvelon, Lucette, Mercilon and Gedarel. For those who take the mini pill, the UK's common brands prescribed by GPs or gynaecologists include Cerazette, Cerelle, Hana (available over the counter at pharmacies), Lovima (available over the counter at pharmacies), Zelleta and Desomono.

On paper (and assuming it is used correctly), the contraceptive pill is 99% effective at preventing pregnancy according to the NHS. The core issue is that contraceptives need a predictable and rapid absorption into the small intestine for the hormones that prevent ovulation to stay steady. If gastric emptying is delayed, then the rate of absorption with oral contraceptives can change. This can cause the level of additional hormones needed to prevent ovulation to drop.

Much like the Wegovy pill, Foundayo is a GLP-1 medication. And part of how it works is to delay gastric emptying — simply put, food and other substances will stay in the stomach for longer. You may be wondering why this only occurs with Foundayo and not the Wegovy pill, but we will touch on that later.

Contraceptive Solutions

As orforglipron is due to go on sale soon in the UK, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) has given the following guidance to women who may be taking the contraceptive pill but want to start this medication.

It recommends that people using oral hormonal contraception should either:

1. Switch to a non-oral contraceptive method, or
2. Add a barrier method such as condoms

for 30 days after starting Foundayo, and then for 30 days after every dose increase.

Foundayo, like other GLP-1s, works on a titration schedule, which involves multiple dose increases, ideally over a 20-week period. So, if you are going to start on orforglipron, you will need to use additional or backup contraception for five or more months. The typical pattern looks like this:

1. Weeks 1–4: Start 0.8mg → need backup contraception for 30 days
2. Week 5: Increase to next dose → restart the 30-day backup clock
3. Week 9: Another increase → restart the 30-day clock again

This pattern repeats through every titration step until you reach and stabilise at your maintenance dose. Our team at Bodyline works with people who also have additional medication or health needs and can personalise this timeline based on side effects or other factors, which means it may take longer.

Safe Contraceptive Alternatives During Foundayo Therapy

If you are looking to start planning a family, it is often wise to talk to your GP before starting any GLP-1 therapy. It should also be stopped at least 3 weeks before a planned pregnancy, and if you find out you are pregnant while taking this oral GLP-1, you should stop taking it immediately.

If you are not planning a family and want a reliable contraceptive that is not impacted by Foundayo, these are the options that don't interact with the GI tract:

1. Intrauterine Device (IUD): Both the copper IUD (Paragard) and hormonal options (Mirena, Kyleena and Liletta) are effective at preventing pregnancy. If you plan to be on Foundayo long-term, this is the simplest option that is not affected by gastric emptying.
2. Subdermal Implant: Brand name Nexplanon; this is a small rod placed under the skin on the upper arm and is effective for 3 years.
3. Contraceptive Patch: Applied to the skin weekly, delivering hormones through the skin. Often sold or prescribed under the name Xulane and is not impacted by GLP-1s.
4. Vaginal Ring: Inserted monthly and releases hormones into the vaginal mucosa.
5. Injectable: Contraceptive injections or Depo-Provera are administered by intramuscular injection every 12–13 weeks and are not impacted by GLP-1s.
6. Barrier Methods: Both male and female condoms can be used as a supplement during periods of titration on Foundayo. This is ideal if there is no option to switch to long-term contraceptives.

Risks to Developing Foetuses

As part of the MHRA assessment of Foundayo in the UK, it has been noted that this medication has specific guidance relating to pregnancy and foetal development.

The UK SmPC states that Foundayo should not be used during pregnancy, there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women, and animal studies have shown reproductive toxicity. If pregnancy occurs, or if someone wants to become pregnant, the orforglipron tablet should be discontinued. It should be stopped at least 3 weeks before a planned pregnancy because of its half-life.

Animal studies into this medication have shown some issues with foetal weight and external malformations, as noted in the EMC patient leaflet. Due to other GLP-1s in pregnancy being linked to reduced foetal growth, major foetal abnormalities and increased risk of pregnancy loss, this medication is likely to increase the chance of reproductive toxicity issues.

Does the Wegovy Pill Do the Same Thing?

If you are taking the Wegovy pill, you may be wondering whether it impacts oral contraceptives in the same way. The answer is no. Wegovy tablets contain oral semaglutide, which, in a study by Bakedal et al. (2021), has been noted to have no clinically relevant change in exposure to ethinylestradiol or levonorgestrel. So, the contraceptive efficacy of both did not drop, and contraceptive protection via the contraceptive pill continued. If you want to learn more about the Wegovy pill, check out our article here.

However, with Foundayo or orforglipron, the risk seems to be linked to its impact on gastrointestinal absorption. As before, for contraceptive medications to work, a set level needs to be achieved consistently in the body, and the absorption caused by this GLP-1 has meant a regulatory warning has been issued on Foundayo.

Specialised Care with Bodyline

If you have concerns about starting any GLP-1 medication due to what may happen to your contraceptives, or any other medications, you will likely need specialised care.

At the Bodyline Clinic, we offer personalised care based on your weight loss goals, any current medications or conditions that you have, and we also ensure that your weight loss journey is safe for you. Far from just writing a prescription, we have helped over 100,000 people to lose weight across the UK and use clinical research from around the globe alongside our own team to ensure the highest levels of medical care.

So, if that sounds good, please contact our team today and let's get your weight loss journey started.

FAQs

What Is the Foundayo Pill?

The Foundayo pill, or orforglipron, is a non-peptide, small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist. It was created by Eli Lilly, and for maximum results, it needs to be taken once a day. It does not require a fasting period to be effective.

Why Does It Interact with Oral Contraceptives?

A core part of all GLP-1 medications is that they delay gastric emptying. This means food stays in the stomach for longer. If gastric emptying is delayed, then the rate of absorption when taking oral contraceptives may change, meaning that the hormones needed to prevent ovulation can drop.

What Should I Do If I Fall Pregnant on Foundayo?

If you fall pregnant while taking Foundayo, the MHRA states that you should stop taking the medication immediately. You should alert your prescriber and make an appointment with your GP. The effects of orforglipron on an unborn child are not known, as there isn't sufficient human pregnancy data.