LONDON: The United Kingdom has become the first country in Europe to authorise orforglipron, a once-daily oral medicine for weight management and type 2 diabetes. The drug, developed by Eli Lilly, will be marketed under the brand name Foundayo.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) authorised the medicine on August 10, 2026, following its assessment of the drug’s safety, quality and effectiveness.
Orforglipron belongs to the GLP-1 receptor agonist class. It works by helping regulate blood sugar, slowing digestion and reducing appetite, offering an oral alternative to injectable GLP-1 treatments.
The medicine has been authorised alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for adults with a BMI of 30 or above. It can also be used by adults with a BMI between 27 and 30 who have at least one weight-related health condition.
Orforglipron has also received approval for improving blood-sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes that is not adequately controlled.
One of the drug’s key features is its once-daily dosing. Unlike some other oral GLP-1 medicines, it can be taken at any time of day and does not require specific restrictions relating to food or water.
The approval gives patients who prefer tablets over injections another treatment option. However, the authorisation is not the same as immediate NHS availability; the medicine is expected to launch initially through private prescriptions while its potential use within the NHS is separately assessed.
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