NEED TO KNOW
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Drugmaker Eli Lilly has been approved to sell a new weight loss pill called Foundayo
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Foundayo, a once-daily oral GLP-1 medication approved for obesity and weight-related issues, ranges in cost from $25 to $349 per month, depending on insurance coverage and dosage levels
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“We believe Foundayo can help level the playing field for those living with obesity or who are overweight and living with weight-related complications,” Lilly’s CEO said Wednesday
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new weight loss pill from drugmaker Eli Lilly, marking the second GLP-1 in pill form to hit the market in recent months.
On Wednesday, April 1, Eli Lilly announced that its drug Foundayo had been approved for adults with obesity and overweight people with weight-related medical problems.
The drug, also called Orforglipron, will be available via the company’s LillyDirect service, with prescriptions accepted immediately and shipping beginning Monday, April 6.
A stock image of a person holding pills and a glass of water
Credit: Getty
According to Eli Lilly, Foundayo will be offered in six doses. Most patients who take the drug will start on the lowest dose and work their way up to reduce side effects. The pill can also be taken at any time of day without meal restrictions — unlike Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill, released in December, which must be taken on an empty stomach in the mornings.
Foundayo’s most common side effects include nausea, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, indigestion, stomach (abdominal) pain, headache, swollen belly, feeling tired, belching, heartburn, gas and hair loss, according to Eli Lilly,
The drug manufacturer said that the lowest dose of Foundayo will cost about $149 a month for people paying out of pocket, though NBC News reported that higher doses could cost as much as $349 a month.
Eli Lilly also said in its announcement Wednesday that costs could start at $25 per month with commercial coverage, but it is currently unclear how private insurance companies will cover the drug. Medicare could begin covering Foundayo as early as summer 2026, with copays starting at $50 per month, per NBC.
“Today, fewer than 1 in 10 people who could benefit from a GLP-1 are taking one, held back by access, stigma, perceived complexity or the belief that their condition isn’t serious enough for treatment,” David A. Ricks, chair and CEO of Eli Lilly and Company, said in a press release.
“We believe Foundayo can help level the playing field for those living with obesity or who are overweight and living with weight-related complications,” he said. “As a convenient, once-daily oral pill that delivers meaningful weight loss, this is obesity care designed for the real world.”
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Eli Lilli has another GLP-1 drug, Retatrutide, in development, according to NBC, and the research has shown thus far that it resulted in greater weight loss in trials than any other drug on the market.
“It’s a big moment,” Ricks told CNBC in an interview. “We’ve obviously been working in this category of medicines for a while with the first GLP-1 medication 20 years ago and improving ever since. Here is an option that’s not more effective … but it’s more accessible, it’s easier to fit into your daily routine.”
Speaking to NBC, Ricks also acknowledged that patients on injections including Zepbound have found them to be more effective for weight loss, but said pills still have a place.
“People report being very successful on Zepbound and then wanting to transition to something, you know, something less invasive than a weekly injection, where you have to transport it under refrigerated conditions and remember to take it once a week,” he said.
Read the original article on People
