WASHINGTON, United States — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new daily weight-loss pill developed by Eli Lilly, marking another step in the rapid expansion of medications targeting obesity.
The drug, known as Foundayo, is the second oral GLP-1 treatment to reach the market in recent months, following the approval of Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill in December.
Dosing, Pricing and Access
Foundayo will be available in six dosage levels, with patients typically beginning at the lowest dose and gradually increasing to limit side effects.
Unlike the Wegovy pill, which must be taken on an empty stomach, Foundayo can be taken at any time of day without meal restrictions.
The lowest dose is expected to cost about $149 per month for patients paying out of pocket, with higher doses priced up to $349 monthly.
It remains unclear how widely private insurers will cover the medication.
Under a policy outlined by the administration of Donald Trump, Medicare coverage for some patients could begin as early as this summer, with copayments potentially as low as $50 per month.
“It’s a breakthrough in that it’s a simple oral medication,” Eli Lilly’s chief executive, Dave Ricks, said. “You just put it in that pill case in the morning, and it fits into your daily routine.”
Effectiveness Compared With Injections
Clinical trial data showed that patients taking the highest dose of Foundayo lost an average of 12.4 percent of their body weight after 72 weeks.
That result is comparable to the Wegovy pill but lower than outcomes seen with injectable GLP-1 drugs.
Experts say the difference in effectiveness could influence patient preferences.
“The jury is still out in terms of what people are really going to achieve with these pills,” said Dr. Jody Dushay, an endocrinologist at Harvard Medical School.
“I mean, 12% is weak compared to what you’re going to see with Wegovy and Zepbound.”
Ricks acknowledged that injectable treatments such as Zepbound may produce greater weight loss but said oral options could appeal to patients seeking less invasive treatments.
“People report being very successful on Zepbound and then wanting to transition to something… less invasive than a weekly injection,” he said.
Growing Market and Future Developments
Demand for oral weight-loss drugs has been strong.
Novo Nordisk reported that more than 170,000 people were taking its Wegovy pill shortly after its launch earlier this year.
Eli Lilly is also developing another GLP-1 drug, retatrutide, which has shown higher levels of weight loss in clinical trials than current treatments.
Doctors say pill-based treatments may be particularly useful for patients who wish to maintain weight loss after using injectable drugs or who experience difficulties with injections.
Eli Lilly said the side effects of Foundayo are similar to those associated with injectable GLP-1 medications, with gastrointestinal issues such as nausea, constipation and diarrhoea among the most commonly reported.
The approval adds to a growing range of options for treating obesity, as pharmaceutical companies compete to develop more accessible and effective therapies.
