With Foundayo's MHRA approval on 10 August 2026, the UK now has two once daily GLP-1 weight loss tablets. They sound similar, but they behave very differently. Here is the honest pharmacist comparison.
The one minute answer
The Wegovy tablet (semaglutide) has the stronger trial results, around 14% average weight loss, and you can start it today. Foundayo (orforglipron) is slightly less effective in trials at 11.1%, but it is dramatically easier to live with, no fasting, no timing, no water limits, and it launches in the UK soon.
Head to head
| Foundayo | Wegovy tablet | |
|---|---|---|
| Active ingredient | Orforglipron, small molecule | Semaglutide, peptide |
| How you take it | Any time, with or without food | Empty stomach, max 120ml water, wait 30 minutes |
| Average weight loss | 11.1% at 72 weeks, 12.4% completers | Around 14% at 64 weeks |
| Dose range | 0.8mg to 17.2mg daily | Stepped monthly doses |
| Also licensed for | Type 2 diabetes control | Weight management |
| UK availability | Approved, launching soon | Available now at Solira from £99.99 |
Why the taking rules matter more than they sound
On paper, a 30 minute wait sounds trivial. In practice, it is the single most common reason patients tell us the Wegovy tablet routine slips: early starts, school runs, shift work, morning coffee. Missed or badly timed doses mean less medicine absorbed and slower results. Foundayo removes the routine entirely, which for some people will be worth a few percentage points of trial efficacy.
Why the Wegovy tablet still wins for many
Results and availability. Around 14% average weight loss is meaningfully more than 11.1%, the safety profile of semaglutide is extremely well characterised across millions of patients, and crucially you can start this week rather than waiting for launch stock. If your priority is progress now, starting on the Wegovy tablet and reviewing your options at a later check in is a perfectly good strategy, switching between GLP-1 treatments can be planned safely with your pharmacist.
Side effects: essentially the same family
Both cause the classic GLP-1 gut effects, nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, and indigestion, worst early on and after dose increases. Foundayo has one extra flag worth knowing: it can reduce how well the contraceptive pill works, so a barrier method is advised for 30 days after starting and after each dose increase.
Price
Wegovy tablets start from £99.99 a month at Solira today. Foundayo's UK price is unconfirmed, we expect it to land between £95 and £112 a month depending on dose. Realistically, the two will compete closely on cost. There is more detail in our Foundayo UK price guide.
Our take
If you want the strongest tablet results and to start immediately: Wegovy tablets. If flexibility is what has stopped you before, or fasting rules have derailed you: join the Foundayo waitlist, and consider starting on the Wegovy tablet in the meantime so your progress does not wait for a launch date. Background on the licence itself is in our MHRA approval explainer.
When should you speak to your pharmacist or doctor?
Speak to a pharmacist or your GP before starting any weight loss medicine, especially if you take insulin or diabetes tablets, have a history of pancreatitis or thyroid cancer in the family, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or take the contraceptive pill, which Foundayo can make less effective.
Choose the tablet that fits your life
References
- ATTAIN-1, New England Journal of Medicine, 2025.
- OASIS 4, New England Journal of Medicine, 2025.
- Wegovy prescribing information.
- Foundayo prescribing information, FDA, 2026.
Reviewed by Jimah Alsaai MPharm, GPhC 2232652, Superintendent Pharmacist, Solira.