You may have seen headlines talking about Orforglipron, Eli Lilly's weight loss tablet. Orforglipron is a new weight loss tablet approved by the FDA in the United States in April 2026 under the brand name Foundayo (1). But at the moment, it is not yet available in the United Kingdom.
The good news is that regulatory review for Orforglipron is already underway. If approval goes as expected, it could become available privately later in 2026. However, NHS access will take longer and is unlikely before 2027 at the very earliest.
Here is what we know so far, how this medicine compares with existing treatments like Wegovy and Mounjaro, and whether it’s worth waiting for.
In this article:
When could Orforglipron launch in the UK?
Why isn’t Orforglipron available in the UK right now?
What needs to happen before Orforglipron can be prescribed?
Will Orforglipron be available on the NHS?
How does Orforglipron compare to current UK treatments?
Who might prefer Orforglipron when it becomes available?
Should you wait or start a different GLP-1 now?
Visit our range of weight loss tablets to explore the options currently available in the UK.
When could Orforglipron launch in the UK?
There isn’t a confirmed UK release date yet, but Eli Lilly has already submitted Orforglipron for review in the UK (2). Based on current regulatory progress, the timeline is likely to look like this:
Private prescribing: Potentially later in 2026, after MHRA approval
NHS prescribing: Unlikely before 2027 at the earliest, following a separate NICE review
New medicines often become available privately first. This is because MHRA approval allows doctors and online pharmacies to prescribe a treatment, while NHS availability depends on an additional assessment by NICE to decide whether the medicine should be funded by the health service.
Because these two decisions happen separately, there is usually a gap between private and NHS access for newly approved treatments.
Why isn’t Orforglipron available in the UK right now?
Although Orforglipron has now been approved in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), medicines cannot be prescribed in the UK until they have been reviewed separately by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
This doesn’t mean there are concerns about the treatment. Large clinical trials have already shown that Orforglipron can support meaningful weight loss:
Adults with obesity lost around 12% of their body weight on average over 72 weeks at the highest dose (3,4).
People with type 2 diabetes and obesity on the highest dose averaged around 10% weight loss over the same period (5).
Instead, the delay reflects the fact that the UK and US have different regulatory systems, and each authority reviews the evidence independently before licensing a new medicine, which means medicines often become available in different countries at different times.
New reports say Eli Lilly submitted Orforglipron for regulatory review in more than 40 countries, including the UK, which is expected to be among the earlier markets to receive a decision (6).
Until that process is complete, clinics and pharmacies here are not allowed to prescribe or supply it.
Want to get started with your weight loss journey now? Find out which weight loss tablets are currently available in the UK.
What needs to happen before Orforglipron can be prescribed?
New medicines usually become available in the UK in two stages:
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) reviews the clinical trial evidence and decides whether the treatment can be licensed for use. Once licensed, doctors and pharmacies can prescribe the medicine privately following a clinical assessment.
The second stage is a separate decision by NICE about whether the treatment should be funded on the NHS. This involves comparing how effective it is with existing options and whether it represents good value for the health service.
Because these decisions happen independently, it is normal for new treatments to become available privately before they are offered through the NHS.
Will Orforglipron be available on the NHS?
Possibly, but we don’t know yet. Even if Orforglipron is approved for use in the UK, it would not automatically become available on the NHS. A separate decision from NICE is needed before the treatment can be funded for routine use.
If Orforglipron is recommended, access would still be based on eligibility criteria. As with other weight loss medicines such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, NHS treatment is usually prioritised for high-risk patients and often requires referral to a specialist service rather than a standard GP prescription.
The rollout might also take time. For example, Mounjaro is being introduced through a phased NHS programme expected to take up to 12 years, with access expanding gradually across different regions (7). A similar staged approach could happen with Orforglipron if it is approved for NHS use.
This means that even if Orforglipron is eventually recommended by NICE, a decision that would take additional time after MHRA approval, availability may vary depending on location and eligibility, and it may not be immediately accessible to everyone who is interested in trying it.
How does Orforglipron compare with current UK treatments?
In clinical trials, people taking Orforglipron lost around 10 to 12% of their body weight on average over 72 weeks (3,4). That’s lower on average than injectable GLP-1 medicines like Mounjaro and Wegovy, but above the average seen with licenced obesity tablets like Orlistat (8,9,10).
The main difference is how these treatments are taken. Wegovy and Mounjaro are weekly injections, while orlistat is taken as a capsule with meals. Orforglipron is designed as a once-daily tablet that can be taken without food restrictions, offering the convenience of a tablet treatment but working through the same appetite-regulating GLP-1 pathway as injectable medicines (4).
For people who feel unsure about injections, this may make treatment feel easier. However, there is another important difference to keep in mind: Wegovy and Mounjaro are already available in the UK following a clinical assessment, while Orforglipron cannot yet be prescribed here.
Who might prefer Orforglipron when it becomes available?
Although it is not yet available in the UK, Orforglipron may be a good fit for some people once it is approved by the MHRA. It may be particularly appealing if you:
Feel unsure about using injections
Would prefer a daily tablet instead of a weekly treatment
Want a GLP-1 option without strict timing requirements around meals
Are planning to start treatment later in the year rather than immediately
For others, however, starting with an established treatment that is already available may feel like the more practical choice. Injectable options such as Wegovy and Mounjaro are widely prescribed in the UK and can support significant weight loss when used alongside lifestyle changes.
If injections feel like a barrier, there are also tablet-based weight loss treatments like Orlistat that may be suitable for some people. These work differently from GLP-1 medicines but can still support weight management following a clinical assessment.
Should you wait for Orforglipron or start a different GLP-1 now?
Whether to wait for Orforglipron or start treatment sooner is a personal decision. Some people may prefer to wait, especially if injections do not feel like the right option or if they have already tried other treatments without success. A once-daily tablet may feel like a better fit.
But for most people living with obesity, starting treatment sooner may be more appropriate. Orforglipron is not yet approved in the UK, and there is no confirmed launch date. Even after approval, prescribing guidance will determine who is eligible, so it may not be suitable for everyone.
Because excess weight can affect long-term health, it may be helpful to arrange a weight loss consultation now to explore the options already available while newer treatments like Orforglipron continue through the approval process.
What can you do now?
While Orforglipron is not yet available in the UK, exploring the options already available may help you decide whether to begin treatment now or wait for future medicines to complete the approval process.
Oxford Online Pharmacy offers a range of clinically approved weight loss treatments that can be safely prescribed online following a simple assessment. One of our independent doctors will review your medical history to help determine which may be safe and appropriate for you.
Visit our weight loss tablets page to explore the options currently available in the UK.
References
FDA Office. FDA Approves First New Molecular Entity Under National Priority Voucher Program [Internet]. US Food and Drug Administration. 2026.
Lilly’s oral GLP-1, orforglipron, is successful in third Phase 3 trial, triggering global regulatory submissions this year for the treatment of obesity | Eli Lilly and Company [Internet]. Eli Lilly and Company. 2024.
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;
Eli Lilly and Company. Lilly's oral GLP-1, orforglipron, demonstrated meaningful weight loss and cardiometabolic improvements in complete ATTAIN-1 results published in the New England Journal of Medicine [Internet]. Eli Lilly and Company; 2025.
Horn DB, Ryan DH, Kis SG, Alves B, Mu Y, Kim SG, et al. Orforglipron, an oral small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist, for the treatment of obesity in people with type 2 diabetes (ATTAIN-2): a phase 3, double-blind, randomised, multicentre, placebo-controlled trial. The Lancet [Internet]. 2025 Nov;
Lintern S. No more needles — a weight-loss pill is on its way to Britain [Internet]. Thetimes.com. The Sunday Times; 2025 [cited 2026 Apr 16].
NHS England. Medicines for obesity [Internet]. England.nhs.uk. 2024.
Jastreboff AM, Aronne LJ, Ahmad NN, Wharton S, Connery L, Alves B, et al. Tirzepatide once weekly for the treatment of obesity. New England Journal of Medicine. 2022;387(3):205–16.
Wilding JPH, Batterham RL, Calanna S. Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity. The New England Journal of Medicine [Internet]. 2021 Feb 10;384(11):989–1002.
Shraboni Ghosal, Heron N, Mason K, Jordan K. Efficacy of Orlistat in type 2 diabetes – a systematic review and meta analysis. BJGP Open [Internet]. 2025 Jun 5;BJGPO.2025.0058–8.