Until recently, people interested in GLP-1 weight loss treatments have largely had one choice: weight loss injections. But that’s set to change. The Wegovy pill (oral Semaglutide) and Foundayo (orforglipron) are two new oral GLP-1 medicines both approved for use in the UK this year.
If you’re interested in these new medicines, you’re probably trying to figure out which one is better. Although both have shown impressive weight loss in clinical trials, the Wegovy pill appears to have a slight advantage. But there is more to choosing the right treatment than comparing trial averages.
In this article, we’ll compare Wegovy tablets and Foundayo and explain which type of patient each treatment may suit best, helping you decide which option may be right for you.
In this article:
Does the Wegovy tablet or Foundayo cause more weight loss?
How do the side effects compare?
What is the biggest difference between the two?
Who might be better suited to which weight loss tablet?
Is Foundayo or the Wegovy tablet likely to cost more?
When will Foundayo and the Wegovy pill become available?
Does the Wegovy tablet or Foundayo cause more weight loss?
Both the Wegovy tablet and Foundayo have led to significant average weight loss in clinical trials:
In the OASIS 4 trial for the Wegovy tablet, participants taking 25mg of oral Semaglutide lost an average of around 13-16% of their starting body weight over 64 weeks (1).
In the ATTAIN-1 trial for Foundayo, participants taking the highest dose of Orforglipron (36mg) lost an average of around 11-12% of their starting body weight over 72 weeks (2).
When comparing these results, you might say that the Wegovy pill “works better” than Foundayo. But the difference between the two treatments is small, and it’s important not to overinterpret the results.
There have been no direct head-to-head comparison studies looking at oral Semaglutide and Orforglipron, and the OASIS 4 and ACHIEVE trials involved different participants, ran for different lengths of time, and had different study designs.
Comparing these two trials gives us information, but not enough to conclude that one medicine is superior to the other. To decide which treatment is better for you, we need to look deeper.
How do Wegovy pill and Foundayo side effects compare?
Broadly speaking, the Foundayo (Orforglipron) side effects and the Wegovy pill side effects are the same. Both Foundayo (Orforglipron) and Wegovy work in the same way, by activating the GLP-1 pathway and slow digestion, so they share common digestive symptoms like (1-2):
Nausea
Diarrhoea
Constipation
Vomiting
Indigestion
Stomach pain
As with all GLP-1 weight loss medications, Foundayo and Wegovy pills have dosing guides that follow gradual dosing schedules. The above side effects are typically worse when starting treatment or increasing your dose, and usually settle down as the body adjusts (4).
However, despite Foundayo and the Wegovy tablet sharing similar side effects, it doesn’t mean your experience will be identical on both. Many people find they tolerate one GLP-1 better than another, even though the medicines work in the same way.
For this reason, side effects alone are unlikely to be the deciding factor when choosing between Foundayo and the Wegovy tablet.
What are the main differences between Wegovy pills and Foundayo?
The biggest difference between the Wegovy pill and Foundayo isn’t how much weight loss they cause or how bad their side effects are. It’s how you take them. Both are once-daily pills swallowed with water, but things are a little more nuanced than that.
Wegovy pill | Foundayo | |
|---|---|---|
Active ingredient | Semaglutide (GLP-1) | Orforglipron (GLP-1) |
Dosing | Once daily (5) | Once daily (6) |
Number of step-up doses | 1.5mg, 4mg, 9mg, 25mg (5) | 0.8mg, 2.5mg, 5.5mg, 9mg, 14.5mg, and 17.2mg (6) |
How is it taken? | Take the wegovy pill on an empty stomach after overnight fasting (minimum 8 hours), with no more than 120ml of plain water, at least 30 minutes before food, drinks, or other medications. (5) | Take orally once daily, with or without food. (6) |
Weight loss results | Average of 13-16% body weight loss (1) | Average of 11-12% body weight loss (2) |
The biggest difference between the two, which is important to consider depending on your lifestyle, is how each weight loss tablet is taken.
Wegovy tablets contain Semaglutide, which is quickly broken down by stomach acid and can be difficult for the body to absorb when taken as a tablet. The pills contain an absorption enhancer called SNAC to help more of the medicine get into the bloodstream, but have very specific instructions on how to take the Wegovy pill correctly.
These instructions must be followed. If they aren’t, the body won’t be able to effectively absorb the medication, and the tablets won’t work as well as they should. Many people find that after a few weeks, following Wegovy’s instructions becomes a simple part of their morning routine.
For others, Foundayo is a far more convenient option. Foundayo contains Orforglipron, which is absorbed much more easily and can be: taken at any time throughout the day, with or without food, with no water restriction and no limit on how quickly you can eat or drink after taking the tablets. It should be taken at the same time each day, but you can choose when suits you best.
Who might be better suited to which weight loss tablet?
As the Wegovy tablet and Foundayo cause similar weight loss and have similar side effects, the deciding factor usually comes down to lifestyle compatibility and personal preference.
The Wegovy tablet might be the better option for you if:
Are comfortable following a stricter morning medication routine
Prefer an established weight loss medicine in tablet form instead of a brand-new GLP-1
Have a regular morning routine that makes the fasting requirements easier to manage
Are taking Wegovy injections and want to switch to a tablet for weight loss
On the other hand, Foundayo may be the best weight loss tablet if you:
Want a more flexible dosing schedule that fits more easily around life
Work shifts, travel a lot, or have an unpredictable morning routine
Already take morning medications when you wake up
Feel comfortable taking a brand-new GLP-1 medicine
Ultimately, neither treatment is automatically better than the other. Some people may be happy to follow Wegovy's stricter dosing instructions in exchange for taking a medicine that has already been used to treat obesity and the possibility of slightly greater weight loss based on clinical trial averages.
Others may decide that Foundayo's flexibility is worth more than an additional 1-2% average weight loss. After all, if you struggle to follow Wegovy's dosing instructions consistently, you may not experience the full benefit seen in clinical trials anyway.
Is Foundayo or the Wegovy tablet likely to cost more?
At the time of writing, it is not possible to say how costs compare. While we have Wegovy pill pricing, we do not yet have the official pricing for Foundayo. You can see our current Wegovy pill pricing and compare how much weight loss pills and injections cost in our guide.
That said, Wegovy is more expensive than traditional weight loss tablets and Foudayo is expected to be the same. Many experts expect Foundayo pricing to be closer to current GLP-1 pills and injections like Wegovy pills, Mounjaro and Wegovy injections, although this has not yet been confirmed.
Competition between Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, the two pharmaceutical companies behind the Wegovy tablet and Orforglipron, should keep prices close. But ultimately, final costs depend on licensing, supply, and prescribing arrangements.
When will Foundayo become available in the UK?
While Foundayo has been approved for use in the UK, we don’t yet know when Orforglipron will be available in the UK for purchase, but this is likely to be in the very near future.
NHS availability will take longer and isn’t always guaranteed, as this requires a separate assessment by NICE to decide on NHS eligibility criteria.
If you're interested in GLP-1 weight loss tablets, Oxford Online Pharmacy can help you stay up to date with the latest developments and explore suitable treatment options as they become available.
Get updates for Foundayo or Wegovy tablets, or explore weight loss pills currently available.
References
Wharton S, Ildiko Lingvay, Bogdanski P, Duque R, Jacob S, Karlsson T, et al. Oral Semaglutide at a Dose of 25 mg in Adults with Overweight or Obesity. New England Journal of Medicine. 2025 Sep 17;393(11):1077–87.
Wharton S, Aronne LJ, Stefanski A, Alfaris NF, Ciudin A, Yokote K, et al. Orforglipron, an Oral Small-Molecule GLP-1 Receptor Agonist for Obesity Treatment. New England Journal of Medicine. 2025 Sep 16;
Kim JA, Yoo HJ. Exploring the Side Effects of GLP-1 Receptor Agonist: To Ensure Its Optimal Positioning. Diabetes & Metabolism Journal. 2025 Jul 1;49(4):525–41.
Novo Nordisk. Wegovy (semaglutide) prescribing information [Internet]. Plainsboro (NJ): Novo Nordisk; [cited 2026 Jun 04].
Novo Nordisk. Wegovy 1.5 mg tablets. Summary of Product Characteristics. Electronic Medicines Compendium.
Eli Lilly and Company. FOUNDAYO (orforglipron) tablets, for oral use — prescribing information. 2026. [Internet]