New weight loss pill with unique twist launches today but pharmacists warn of dangerous problem
The weight loss market continues to boom, with patients constantly looking for more powerful GLP-1s, cheaper versions, and new ways to take them.
There's a continuous flurry of news surrounding Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and all the rest, with plenty of chatter around Retatrutide being branded the 'Godzilla' of weight loss drugs. The Trump administration is taking credit for prices tumbling stateside, and in the United Kingdom, there are celebrations surrounding the release of a new Foundayo pill.
We previously covered how Amazon was offering same-day Ozempic pills in the USA, with the general idea being that pills are more convenient than jabbing yourself with a needle once a week. Added to this, they're easier to transport, and you don't have to worry about refrigeration like with Ozempic and most of the rest.
The United Kingdom's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved orforglipron (Foundayo) for sale, but it comes with a health warning from pharmacists.
How does Foundayo work?
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Foundayo is an oral pill that needs to be taken daily, mimicking our natural gut hormone called GLP-1. The pill activates receptors in our brain, reducing hunger and slowing down stomach digestion while also steadying blood sugar.
Even though some might prefer the ease of taking a so-called 'skinny jab' once a week, others find Foundayo more convenient. Added to this, there are no food or water restrictions, leaving Foundayo to be taken at any time.
Unlike older GLP-1 drugs that are made with large peptides that break down in the stomach, Foundayo has a small-molecule design that means it survives in stomach acid and is absorbed easily.
In the UK, Foundayo is licensed for those with a body mass index of 30 or more, or those with a BMI between 27 and 30 who also have a weight-related condition. Finally, Foundayo can help control blood sugar levels in those who have poorly controlled type 2 diabetes
Manufactured by Eli Lilly, the company is working with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) ahead of a potential rollout on the National Health Service.
As reported by The Guardian, Foundayo has plenty of fanfare, with Henry Gregg, the chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association, saying: “This is another significant day with a second weight loss pill available from today in certain pharmacies. This is particularly significant for patients who cannot or do not want to take an injectable medicine and could make weight-loss treatment available to a wider range of patients.”
Foundayo comes with medical warning
While that all sounds great on paper, pharmacists are sounding the alarm over potential counterfeit versions of Foundayo. There's a trend of knock-off weight loss drugs coming with potential side effects like liver failure, while the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has reportedly seized 'thousands' of counterfeit Foundayo pills.
In 2025, it's said the MHRA nabbed £250,000-worth ($341,000) of unlicensed weight-loss pens and ingredients to make them from a Northampton supplier, with Eli Lilly suing various suppliers that it's accused of fuelling a hidden black market.
With this, patients are reminded to only seek weight-loss drugs through regulated pharmacies and medical professionals.
Looking at a wider problem, Gregg reiterated: "There must now be a redoubling of efforts within government and the NHS to use pharmacies to make sure more eligible patients in clinical need can get weight loss treatments on the NHS, rather than the current postcode lottery that exists for weight management services via GPs."
Foundayo joins a pill version of Wegovy being authorized in June 2026, but as more drugs flood the market, so do counterfeit versions.
Elsewhere, Insurance Business warns that while some 2.4 million UK citizens are said to be using GLP-1s, declaration at the point of buying travel insurance is far below this. A 2025 survey suggests that over 25% of UK adults were unaware you need to declare weight-loss medication when buying insurance.
The MHRA's Yellow Card scheme has noted 150,000 adverse-event reports connected to GLP-1s, and worse yet, some 15,000 have been classed as serious.
The Law Commission started its own review of the Consumer Protection Act 1987 last year, and any potential reform could change how underwriters price the risk.
It's a case of buyer beware, and unless you're getting your weight loss drugs from an authorized seller, there's a growing risk that you're ingesting something you shouldn't be.