What is Foundayo?
Foundayo (orforglipron) is a once-daily prescription tablet used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for weight management. This guide covers its use in adults in the UK. It is also authorised separately for type 2 diabetes. [3]
Weight loss with orforglipron comes mainly from fat, including visceral fat, but lean mass can also decrease. Trials have shown improvements in some measures of blood sugar, blood pressure and blood fats; individual results vary. [1]
Who is Foundayo for?
For weight management, the UK licence covers adults with an initial BMI of:
- 30 kg/m² or above; or
- 27 kg/m² to below 30 kg/m², with at least one weight-related condition, such as prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, abnormal blood fats, obstructive sleep apnoea or cardiovascular disease.
These licensed starting BMI thresholds do not have a lower ethnic-group exception. Starting weight-management treatment below an initial BMI of 27 kg/m² is outside this licensed indication. Your prescriber assesses suitability using your medical history as well as BMI. [1]
How does Foundayo work?
Foundayo is a GLP-1 receptor agonist. It activates the receptors used by GLP-1, a hormone released by the gut after eating.
GLP-1 helps regulate appetite, blood glucose and stomach emptying.
Foundayo acts on appetite-regulating pathways, including in the brain, and can help reduce hunger and food intake. The effect and the amount of weight lost differ between people. [1][3]
What is Foundayo’s dosing schedule?
Treatment starts at 0.8 mg once daily. The UK prescribing information then specifies an increase to 2.5 mg once daily after at least 30 days. After at least another 30 days, the dose can increase to 5.5 mg once daily.
Later steps are 9 mg, 14.5 mg and 17.2 mg once daily, with at least 30 days on the current dose before an increase. These later increases depend on response and tolerability; reaching the highest dose is not an automatic monthly target.
The usual maximum is 17.2 mg once daily. Some interacting medicines mean a lower maximum is needed. Take only the prescribed tablet strength: do not combine tablets to make a higher dose.
If you want to request a dose increase, your prescriber must assess and approve it before you change your dose. The diagram summarises the steps; it is not a personal dosing plan. [1][2]
Tell your prescriber or pharmacist about all medicines, supplements and herbal products you take, because interactions can change which dose is suitable. Also tell the team if you are due to have a procedure under general anaesthesia or deep sedation. [1][2]
How do you take Foundayo?
Foundayo is taken once daily. Swallow the tablet whole; do not break, crush or chew it. You can take it at any time, with or without food. There are no special water-intake restrictions for taking the tablet. [2]
What happens if you miss a Foundayo dose?
If you miss a tablet, take it when you remember, but do not take more than one dose in a day.
Do not take an extra or double dose to make up for a missed tablet. If you are unsure what to do, ask your pharmacist or prescriber. [2]
If you take too much Foundayo, contact a doctor immediately. [2]
What are the common side effects?
Very common side effects include nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhoea, indigestion and abdominal pain. Bloating, belching, wind and acid reflux are also listed as common side effects.
Digestive symptoms can be more noticeable when starting treatment or increasing the dose. They often ease over time, but can be severe or persistent. Tell your prescriber if symptoms are troublesome rather than assuming you must simply put up with them.
Other possible effects include tiredness, headache, dizziness, hair loss, a faster pulse and lower blood pressure. Low blood sugar can occur, particularly with insulin or sulfonylureas. Your prescriber may need to adjust other medicines. [1][2]
What can help with nausea?
If nausea is mild, these steps may help make eating and drinking more comfortable:
- Opt for smaller meal portions.
- Avoid greasy foods and any foods, including spicy dishes, that make your symptoms worse.
- Pause eating once you feel comfortably satisfied. There is no need to clear your plate.
- Stay hydrated by taking small, frequent sips of water throughout the day. [4][6]
When should you get urgent help?
- Stop taking Foundayo and seek urgent medical help for severe, persistent abdominal pain, which may spread to the back, with or without vomiting. This could be pancreatitis. [1][2]
- Call 999 for possible severe allergy, such as sudden swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing. Do not take another dose while seeking emergency help. [2][5]
- Contact NHS 111 promptly if repeated vomiting means you cannot keep fluids down. Vomiting and diarrhoea can cause dehydration. [6]
- Read the supplied leaflet for other warning signs, including gallbladder problems, bowel obstruction and changes in vision, and seek medical advice as directed. [2]
Can you take Foundayo during pregnancy or breastfeeding?
Do not use Foundayo during pregnancy or breastfeeding. If pregnancy is planned, arrange to stop it at least 3 weeks before trying to conceive. If you become pregnant while taking it, stop taking it and contact your doctor.
Use effective contraception during treatment if you could become pregnant.
Foundayo can reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptives. For 30 days after starting treatment and for 30 days after every dose increase, either add a barrier method such as condoms while continuing your pill, or switch to a suitable non-oral contraceptive method with professional advice. [1][2]
How should Foundayo be stored?
Keep Foundayo in its original packaging to protect it from light, and out of the sight and reach of children. The UK prescribing information does not require special temperature storage conditions. Check the expiry date and the leaflet supplied with your medicine. [1][2]
Can you switch from another weight-management treatment?
Some people prefer a tablet to an injection, while others find a daily medicine harder to remember than a weekly treatment. Foundayo does not require fasting or a special limit on water when taking it. Which option suits you depends on your health, preferences and treatment plan.
Discuss any proposed switch with your prescriber. There is no simple dose conversion from another weight-management medicine, and previous weight-loss progress is not guaranteed to continue unchanged. Your prescriber needs to plan when to stop the previous treatment and how to start the new one; do not combine or switch medicines on your own. [1][2]
