Foundayo: Uses, How It Works, Side Effects, Cost, Coverage
Foundayo is a daily tablet of orforglipron made by Eli Lilly, first FDA approved in 2026, for weight loss. List price is $649 per month; self-pay starts at $149 per month. In the ATTAIN-1 trial, people lost 11.1% of body weight on average.
- Active ingredient
- orforglipron
- Manufacturer
- Eli Lilly
- How it is taken
- daily tablet
- First FDA approval
- 2026
- List price
- $649 per month
- Self-pay from
- $149 per month
- Average weight loss in trials
- 11.1%
- Most common side effect
- Nausea 35% vs 10% on placebo
Foundayo at a glance
Its half-life ranges from 29 to 49 hours. Half remains after 39 h, and about 3% is still present after five half-lives (8.1 d).
Over 72 weeks, ATTAIN-1 showed 11.1% of body weight lost, compared with 2.1% for placebo.
The maker's price page lists price points for each month in US dollars. These cover the list price and self-pay offers.
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed), Eli Lilly, pricinginfo.lilly.com.
Foundayo uses and forms
The FDA label provides Foundayo's uses, forms, and warnings. Your dose is set by the label and your prescriber.
| What the label says | |
|---|---|
| Approved use | For adults with obesity, or overweight adults with a weight-related condition, it supports long-term weight loss and maintenance with diet and activity. |
| Forms | Tablet |
| Strengths on the label | 17.2 mg, 14.5 mg, 9 mg, 5.5 mg, 2.5 mg, and 0.8 mg |
| Boxed warning | The boxed warning says the drug caused thyroid C-cell tumors in rodents. It is not known whether this happens in people. You must not take it if you have had medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), or if a family member has a history of it. Do not take it if you have MEN 2. |
| Storage | Store at room temperature. |
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed).
What the Foundayo trials showed
| Trial | Who took part | Length | Group | Average weight loss | Placebo | A1C change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATTAIN-1 | Adults with obesity or overweight, without diabetes | 72 weeks | Foundayo 5.5 mg daily | 7.4% | 2.1% | Not listed |
| ATTAIN-1 | Adults with obesity or overweight, without diabetes | 72 weeks | Foundayo 9 mg daily | 8.3% | 2.1% | Not listed |
| ATTAIN-1 | Adults with obesity or overweight, without diabetes | 72 weeks | Foundayo 17.2 mg daily | 11.1% | 2.1% | Not listed |
| ATTAIN-2 | Adults with obesity or overweight who also have type 2 diabetes | 72 weeks | Foundayo 5.5 mg daily | 5.1% | 2.5% | Not listed |
| ATTAIN-2 | Adults with obesity or overweight who also have type 2 diabetes | 72 weeks | Foundayo 9 mg daily | 7% | 2.5% | Not listed |
| ATTAIN-2 | Adults with obesity or overweight who also have type 2 diabetes | 72 weeks | Foundayo 17.2 mg daily | 9.6% | 2.5% | Not listed |
| ACHIEVE-1 | Adults with early type 2 diabetes relying only on diet and exercise | 40 weeks | Orforglipron 3 mg daily (publication dose name) | Not listed | Not listed | -1.24 percentage points (mean HbA1c change) |
| ACHIEVE-1 | Adults with early type 2 diabetes relying only on diet and exercise | 40 weeks | Orforglipron 12 mg daily (publication dose name) | Not listed | Not listed | -1.47 percentage points (mean HbA1c change) |
| ACHIEVE-1 | Adults with early type 2 diabetes relying only on diet and exercise | 40 weeks | Orforglipron 36 mg daily (publication dose name) | Not listed | Not listed | -1.48 percentage points (mean HbA1c change) |
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed), PubMed.
Foundayo side effects
Trials in the label report each side effect's rate beside the rate for placebo, a dummy treatment. Study group: adults with obesity or who are overweight (weight management)
| Side effect | Foundayo 5.5 mg | Foundayo 9 mg | Foundayo 17.2 mg | Placebo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nausea | 26% | 34% | 35% | 10% |
| Constipation | 20% | 27% | 24% | 9% |
| Diarrhea | 21% | 23% | 25% | 11% |
| Vomiting | 13% | 21% | 24% | 4% |
| Dyspepsia | 12% | 16% | 13% | 4% |
| Abdominal pain | 13% | 14% | 14% | 7% |
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed).
Acute Pancreatitis, Hypoglycemia, and Acute Gallbladder Disease appear among the label warnings, together with Risk of Thyroid C-Cell Tumors, Severe Gastrointestinal Reactions, and Hypersensitivity Reactions. The label also covers Acute Kidney Injury caused by Volume Depletion, Diabetic Retinopathy Complications that affect Patients with Type 2 Diabetes, and each of these is a labeled warning.
These details come from the warnings in the FDA label (DailyMed).
Foundayo interactions
| Taken with | What the label says |
|---|---|
| Insulin or sulfonylureas | Combining this drug with insulin or a sulfonylurea, such as glipizide and glimepiride, raises the chance of low blood sugar. Your doctor may lower the doses of those drugs. |
| Oral medicines | This drug slows stomach emptying, so other pills may be absorbed differently. |
| Birth control pills | While taking this drug, oral birth control pills may not work as well for a time. Use a non-oral method, or add a barrier method when you start and whenever the dose increases. |
| Strong CYP3A4 inhibitors | When you take strong CYP3A4 inhibitors such as certain antifungals or ritonavir, levels of Foundayo climb, so the dose is capped or that combination is not used. |
| Strong CYP3A4 inducers | When you take Foundayo, avoid strong inducers of CYP3A4, such as rifampin, because they lower Foundayo levels. |
| Simvastatin | Taking Foundayo doubles simvastatin acid levels, so the daily limit for simvastatin is 20 mg. |
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed).
Check a GLP-1 interaction
Foundayo cost and coverage
| How you pay | Price |
|---|---|
| List price before insurance | $649 per month |
| Foundayo Savings Card (insured) | from $25 per month |
| Self-pay: LillyDirect 0.8 mg and 2.5 mg | $149 per month |
| Self-pay: LillyDirect 5.5 mg | $199 per month |
| Self-pay: LillyDirect 9 mg | $299 per month |
| LillyDirect self-pay: 14.5 mg, 17.2 mg, refill within 45 days | $299 per month |
| Medicare GLP-1 Bridge (Foundayo, eligible Part D) | $50 per month |
In November 2026, these prices were checked: pricinginfo.lilly.com, foundayo.lilly.com, Eli Lilly, CMS.
Alternatives to Foundayo
| Medicine | Ingredient | How it is taken | Shared use | Trial weight loss | Self-pay from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Wegovy | semaglutide | weekly injection or daily tablet | weight loss | 14.9% | $149 per month |
 Zepbound | tirzepatide | weekly injection | weight loss | 20.9% | $299 per month |
 Saxenda | liraglutide | daily injection | weight loss | 7.4% | Not listed |
The Foundayo label and studies
See the full Foundayo prescribing information on DailyMed.