The UK medicines regulator has approved Eli Lilly’s oral GLP-1 treatment Foundayo for weight management and type 2 diabetes, making Britain the first European country to authorize the pill for both uses.
UK approves new oral weight loss treatment
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved Eli Lilly’s Foundayo on Monday, allowing the company to introduce its daily weight management and diabetes treatment in the UK.
The regulator confirmed that while the medicine has received approval, it is not currently available through the National Health Service (NHS).
Eli Lilly said Foundayo will launch in the UK later this month through private prescriptions. The company added that the treatment will have a lower private list price than Mounjaro, its existing injectable weight loss drug, which is priced at £330 for a month’s supply.
Competition grows in the GLP-1 drug market
The approval makes Foundayo the second oral GLP-1 treatment approved in the UK, following Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill, which received authorization in June.
The decision increases competition between Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, the two companies currently leading the global obesity and diabetes treatment market.
Foundayo is also under review in the European Union, while Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill has already received a positive recommendation from the European Medicines Agency, with final approval pending from the European Commission.
Oral treatments expand weight loss market
The weight loss drug market has traditionally been dominated by injectable treatments from Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. However, demand for oral alternatives is increasing as companies develop more convenient options for patients.
Although pills are gaining attention, injectable GLP-1 treatments remain the market leaders due to their proven effectiveness and once-weekly dosing schedules.
Eli Lilly’s daily GLP-1 tablet has gained momentum in the United States since its approval and launch, but it continues to trail Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill in market adoption.
Foundayo offers daily dosing convenience
Eli Lilly’s Foundayo is designed to be taken once daily without food or water restrictions, offering a simpler routine compared with some competing oral treatments.
Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill requires patients to take the medication on an empty stomach with a small amount of water and wait 30 minutes before eating, drinking or taking other medicines.
The convenience of Foundayo’s dosing method could become one of its main advantages as pharmaceutical companies compete to expand access to oral weight management treatments.
