Country becomes first in Europe to approve weight loss pill with unique twist
The weight-loss craze has reached new heights, with one country in Europe being the first to approve a new pill from the company that brought you Mounjaro.
With celebrities and the general public alike determined to slim down, authorized GLP-1 and GIP prescriptions have boomed alongside the black market.
In the United States, we've seen prices tumble due to intervention from President Donald Trump, while pharmaceutical companies continue to create stronger versions, new variants, and different forms.
Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro remain the big three, with the latter containing tirzepatide that targets two gut hormone receptors (GLP-1 and GIP). Ozempic and Wegovy contain semaglutide and only focus on GLP.
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We previously covered Retatrutide as the supposed 'Godzilla' of weight-loss injections, but as potential patients demand other ways to take their meds, there's the likes of Amazon offering same-day Ozempic pill delivery.
What is Foundayo?
The United Kingdom's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved orforglipron (Foundayo) for sale with a prescription. Marking this milestone, the UK is the first country in Europe to approve the GLP-1 tablet for treating type 2 diabetes and weight management.
The BBC reminds us that just because the MHRA has approved Foundayo, that doesn't mean it'll be available on the UK's National Health Service. Whereas Foundayo can be immediately used by the NHS for treating type 2 diabetes, manufacturer Eli Lily will have to make an application to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in England before it can be recommended as a weight loss treatment.
Still, the landmark approval of Foundayo is an important step for the industry.
Eli Lily is also known for manufacturing Mounjaro, although it's said that Foundayo has potential benefits.
Anglia Ruskin University's Dr Simon Cork reiterates that although Foundayo's weight-loss effects are said to be less than other treatments, patients could still expect "significant, clinically meaningful changes to their weight."
Why could Foundayo be better than other weight-loss medications?
Cork noted that Foundayo will likely be cheaper than other so-called skinny jabs that have been tightly controlled by the NHS. More than that, Foundayo isn't even a skinny jab because it's taken in pill form.
As well as Foundayo not needing refrigeration like Mounjaro and the other jabs, University of Glasgow expert Prof Naveed Sattar points out that it doesn't need to be taken with food like Novo Nordisk's Wegovy pill.
With Foundayo being taken at any time of the day, Sattar cheered this 'good news' for the health industry and added: "The arrival of another effective oral option is a positive development and should help more people access treatment that best suits their needs and preferences."
Elsewhere, Foundayo trials published in Nature Medicine suggest that taking the pill could help those who are coming off jabs keep the weight off.
It's no secret that one of the biggest drawbacks of injections is a potentially rapid weight gain when they eventually stop taking their medication, although weight-loss pills already come with a warning that they aren't a 'silver bullet' that should be seen as a permanent solution.
With this, anyone taking weight loss medication is reminded to maintain a healthy diet and partake in regular exercise.
As with any medication, we're warned of possible side effects, with Foundayo's including nausea, diarrhoea, constipation, and vomiting.