Is there a weight-loss pill in the UK? Wegovy tablets and Foundayo (orforglipron) explained
Two daily GLP-1 tablets were licensed for weight in the UK in 2026. How they are taken, what the trials found, and where the NHS stands.
Written for the UK. Reading from India? India version
Yes. Two daily GLP-1 tablets are licensed for weight in the UK: Wegovy tablets (oral semaglutide), approved on 11 June 2026, and Foundayo (orforglipron), approved on 10 August 2026. Both are prescription-only and were not available on the NHS when approved. Wegovy tablets need an empty stomach; Foundayo doesn’t.
Key takeaways
- The MHRA approved Wegovy tablets for weight on 11 June 2026, calling it the UK’s first GLP-1 tablet for weight loss.1
- On 10 August 2026 the UK became the first country in Europe to approve Foundayo (orforglipron), a daily tablet for weight and type 2 diabetes.2
- Neither tablet was available on the NHS when approved; the MHRA said NHS use depends on a NICE evaluation.1,2
- In OASIS 4, people on Wegovy 25 mg tablets lost an average of 13.6% of their body weight over 64 weeks, against 2.2% on dummy tablets; about 47 in 100 felt sick, against about 19 in 100.3
- In ATTAIN-1, the top orforglipron dose gave a 12.4% average weight loss over 72 weeks, against 0.9% on dummy tablets.4
- GLP‑1 medicines are prescription-only medicines in the UK, never sold over the counter.2
- Ozempic and Rybelsus are licensed for type 2 diabetes only, not for weight loss.5
- A prescriber decides whether a medicine fits, which one and at what dose. Nothing here is a recommendation.
- The risks are the same however you get it: see our side effects guide.
On this page
Which weight-loss tablets are licensed in the UK?
Two GLP‑1 tablets: Wegovy tablets (semaglutide) since June 2026 and Foundayo (orforglipron) since August 2026.1,2
Both are licensed for adults with a BMI of 30 or more. A BMI of 27 to 30 also counts with a weight-related condition.1,2 Both are taken once a day.1,2 Foundayo is also licensed for type 2 diabetes.2
Rybelsus is also a semaglutide tablet. In the UK it is licensed for type 2 diabetes only, not weight loss.5 There is no Mounjaro tablet. Foundayo is a different medicine from Lilly, the maker of Mounjaro.4
How are Wegovy tablets taken, and what did the trial find?
Once a day on an empty stomach, after at least 8 hours’ fasting, with a sip of water; then nothing for 30 minutes.1
The dose begins at 1.5 mg a day, then rises to 4 mg, 9 mg and 25 mg. Each step lasts at least a month.1 Swallow the tablet whole with up to half a glass of water (120 mL).3 Eating or drinking within 30 minutes lowers how much is absorbed.1
In OASIS 4, 205 people took 25 mg tablets and 102 took dummy tablets for 64 weeks. Weight fell by an average of 13.6% on the tablets, against 2.2% on dummy tablets. About 76 in 100 on the tablets lost at least 5%, against about 31 in 100 on dummy tablets.3 For a 100 kg (15 st 10 lb) person, that is about 14 kg against 2 kg, on average.
The MHRA says people treated privately with weekly 2.4 mg Wegovy injections can move straight to 25 mg tablets.1 That switch is a prescriber’s decision.
How is Foundayo (orforglipron) different?
Foundayo is a different GLP‑1 medicine, taken once a day at any time, with no food or water rules.2
The dose begins at 0.8 mg and climbs through 2.5, 5.5, 9 and 14.5 mg to 17.2 mg. Each step lasts at least a month.2
The trials used capsules with different dose labels: the 36 mg capsule equals the 17.2 mg tablet.4 In ATTAIN-1, over 72 weeks, weight fell 7.8%, 9.3% and 12.4% at 6, 12 and 36 mg. It fell 0.9% on dummy capsules.4
Stomach side effects affected about 60 to 69 in 100 people on orforglipron in the weight trials, against about 36 in 100 on dummy capsules. About 4 to 7 in 100 on orforglipron stopped because of them, against fewer than 1 in 100 on dummy capsules.4 The label advises pill users to add a barrier method for 30 days after starting and after each dose rise. It says to stop at least 3 weeks before a planned pregnancy.4
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Can you get a weight-loss pill on the NHS?
Not yet: when each tablet was approved, the MHRA said it was not available on the NHS until NICE had evaluated it.1,2
We found no NICE decision on either tablet by 12 October 2026. NHS weight-medicine access currently means Mounjaro in England’s priority groups, or Wegovy injections in specialist services. See Mounjaro on the NHS.6,7
Privately, both need a prescription after a proper check of your weight. Our online pharmacy post covers the rules.8 We found no official UK list price for either tablet.
Tablet or injection: what changes?
The routine changes most: a daily tablet instead of a weekly injection, and for Wegovy tablets a strict empty-stomach rule.1,2
Trial results for the tablets sit in a similar range to the injections’ own trials, but they were separate trials. They can’t be compared directly.
Side effects are of the same kind: mostly nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation, worst while the dose rises.3,4 Indigestion was more common with Wegovy tablets than in the injection trials.3
Our guide on life on a GLP‑1 covers daily routines.
- Stomach effects. In OASIS 4, about 47 in 100 people on Wegovy 25 mg tablets felt sick (nausea), against about 19 in 100 on dummy tablets. In the orforglipron weight trials, stomach effects affected about 60 to 69 in 100 people on orforglipron, against about 36 in 100 on dummy capsules.3,4
- Gallbladder problems such as gallstones are listed as possible side effects on both labels.3,4
- Pancreatitis (an inflamed pancreas): severe stomach pain that won’t go away and may spread to the back. The MHRA updated its guidance on it in January 2026.9
- Dehydration from vomiting or diarrhoea can harm the kidneys. The tablet and injection labels all warn about this.3,4,10,11
- Surgery and pregnancy. Tell the team before any anaesthetic. The MHRA advises stopping semaglutide at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy, tirzepatide 1 month. The Foundayo label says to stop it at least 3 weeks before.5,4
Questions people ask
Is there a Mounjaro pill?
No. Mounjaro is a weekly injection. Foundayo (orforglipron), a different Lilly medicine, is the daily tablet licensed for weight in the UK.2,4
Is there an Ozempic pill in the UK?
Rybelsus is oral semaglutide, licensed in the UK for type 2 diabetes only, not weight loss. Wegovy tablets are the semaglutide tablet licensed for weight.5,1
Can I swap my Wegovy injection for tablets?
The MHRA says people on weekly 2.4 mg injections privately can move straight to 25 mg daily tablets. That is a prescriber’s decision.1
Do Wegovy tablets have to be taken on an empty stomach?
Yes. Take it after at least 8 hours’ fasting, with a sip of water. Then wait 30 minutes before food or drink.1
Are weight-loss pills available on the NHS?
Not when they were approved. The MHRA said NHS use of both tablets depends on a NICE evaluation.1,2
How we researched this
On 12 October 2026 we read the MHRA approval notices and the UK labels (SmPCs) for Wegovy tablets and Foundayo. Trial results come from the labels’ own tables.
A trade-press report of a NICE date for orforglipron could not be confirmed from NICE, so we left it out. We found no official UK list prices.
Before you move on
- Check which tablet is licensed for what: Rybelsus is diabetes-only.
- Plan the Wegovy tablet routine: 8 hours’ fast, then 30 minutes’ wait.
- If you use the pill, ask about the barrier-method rules.
- Expect stomach side effects while the dose rises.
- Don’t expect NHS tablets until NICE has decided.
More from the UK blog
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Sources
- MHRA. First GLP-1 tablet for weight loss approved in the UK. Press release, 11 June 2026. Link
- MHRA. UK first in Europe to authorise orforglipron for weight management and type 2 diabetes. Press release, 10 August 2026. Link
- Novo Nordisk. Wegovy tablets: UK summary of product characteristics (SmPC), electronic Medicines Compendium. First authorised 11 June 2026, date of revision 06/2026. Link
- Eli Lilly. Foundayo (orforglipron) 0.8 mg film-coated tablets: UK summary of product characteristics (SmPC), electronic Medicines Compendium. First authorised and revised 10 August 2026. Link
- MHRA. GLP-1 medicines for weight loss and diabetes: what you need to know. Guidance, published 5 June 2025, updated 5 February 2026. Link
- NICE. Tirzepatide for managing overweight and obesity, technology appraisal TA1026, section 1 (recommendations and “What this means in practice”). Published 23 December 2024, last updated 1 September 2025. Link
- NICE. Semaglutide for managing overweight and obesity, technology appraisal TA875, section 1. Published 8 March 2023, last updated 4 September 2023. Link
- General Pharmaceutical Council. Online pharmacies to strengthen safeguards to prevent unsafe supply of medicines. News, 4 February 2025. Link
- MHRA. MHRA updates guidance for GLP-1 prescribers and patients. Press release, 29 January 2026. Link
- Eli Lilly. Mounjaro KwikPen: UK summary of product characteristics (SmPC), electronic Medicines Compendium. Date of revision 29 August 2026. Link
- Novo Nordisk. Wegovy FlexTouch: UK summary of product characteristics (SmPC), electronic Medicines Compendium. Date of revision 09/2026. Link
- NHS. When to call 999. Link
Last checked 12 Oct 2026 · Next review due 12 Apr 2027 · Report an error
How this post was made. Written by the GLP Guidebook team from the sources above. It’s general information, not medical advice. Talk to your GP, pharmacist or prescriber before starting, stopping or changing any medicine. We don’t sell, prescribe or recommend any brand or provider. How we write