Foundayo and Wegovy at a glance
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Foundayo
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Wegovy tablet
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Wegovy injection
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Active ingredient
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Orforglipron
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Semaglutide
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Semaglutide
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GLP-1 type
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Small-molecule, non-peptide GLP-1 receptor agonist
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Peptide GLP-1 analogue
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Peptide GLP-1 analogue
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Form
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Tablet
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Tablet
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Subcutaneous injection
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Frequency
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Once daily
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Once daily
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Once weekly
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How it is taken
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Any time of day, with or without food
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After at least 8 hours fasting; up to 120 ml water; wait at least 30 minutes before food, drink or other oral medicines
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At any time of day, with or without meals
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Starting dose
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0.8 mg daily
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1.5 mg daily
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0.25 mg weekly
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Weight-management dose
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Increased stepwise up to a maximum 17.2 mg daily
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Increased stepwise to 25 mg daily
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2.4 mg weekly; in adults with obesity, may be increased to 7.2 mg weekly if needed after at least 4 weeks on 2.4 mg
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These are different molecules and formulations, so the milligram numbers are not measures of relative strength. A 17.2 mg Foundayo tablet is not directly comparable with a 25 mg Wegovy tablet or a 7.2 mg Wegovy injection by mass. [2][4][5]
Are Foundayo and Wegovy the same medicine?
No. Foundayo contains orforglipron and Wegovy contains semaglutide. Both activate the GLP-1 receptor, but orforglipron is a small-molecule, non-peptide receptor agonist, whereas semaglutide is a peptide GLP-1 analogue. [1][4][6]
That difference matters most when comparing the tablets. Oral semaglutide has specific administration requirements intended to support absorption: it should be taken after at least eight hours of fasting, with no more than 120 ml of water, followed by at least 30 minutes before food, drink or other oral medicines. [3][4]
Foundayo does not have those food-timing requirements. Its UK patient leaflet says it can be taken once daily at any time of day, with or without food. [2]
So Foundayo is not semaglutide in pill form, and it is not an oral version of Wegovy. It is a different GLP-1 medicine with a different formulation and dosing schedule.
Foundayo vs the Wegovy tablet: what is different?
Both are once-daily tablets, but their administration routines are materially different. [2][4]Foundayo can be taken at any time of day with or without food. The dose starts at 0.8 mg once daily and is increased in stages, with at least 30 days at each dose level, up to a maximum of 17.2 mg daily. [2]
Wegovy tablets start at 1.5 mg once daily and increase through 4 mg and 9 mg to a 25 mg daily maintenance dose. The tablet must be taken on an empty stomach after at least eight hours of fasting, with a small amount of water, followed by a further 30 minutes before food, drink or other oral medicines. [3][4]
Some people may find one routine more practical than another. What the evidence does not establish is that fewer administration restrictions automatically lead to better adherence or greater weight loss for an individual.
There is also a distinction between authorisation and current market availability. The MHRA authorised Wegovy tablets for adult weight management on 11 June 2026, but the electronic Medicines Compendium currently marks the 25 mg maintenance-strength page as reference-only and not currently marketed in the UK. Availability can change, so it should be checked separately from licensing status. [3][8]
Foundayo vs the Wegovy injection: what is different?
The main practical difference is route and frequency. Foundayo is a daily tablet; injectable Wegovy is a once-weekly subcutaneous injection. Injectable Wegovy has no meal-timing requirement. [2][5]
Wegovy injections start at 0.25 mg weekly and are normally increased over 16 weeks to 2.4 mg weekly. For adult weight management in people with obesity, the UK product information allows an increase to 7.2 mg weekly if needed after at least four weeks on 2.4 mg. [5]
Again, those milligram values cannot be converted into an equivalent Foundayo dose. Dose selection and any change in treatment should be determined by the prescriber rather than by comparing the numbers on the packs.
Which produced more weight loss in clinical trials?
The trial results are useful, but only if they are read in the right context.
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Medicine and study
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Population and duration
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Mean body-weight change reported in the main analysis
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Orforglipron — ATTAIN-1
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3,127 adults with obesity, without diabetes; 72 weeks
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Highest studied dose: −11.2% vs −2.1% with placebo [6]
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Oral semaglutide 25 mg — OASIS 4
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307 adults with obesity or overweight plus a weight-related condition; 64 weeks
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−13.6% vs −2.2% with placebo [4]
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Injectable semaglutide 2.4 mg — STEP 1
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1,961 adults with obesity or overweight plus a weight-related condition; 68 weeks
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−14.9% vs −2.4% with placebo [5]
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Injectable semaglutide 7.2 mg — STEP UP
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1,407 adults with obesity; 72 weeks
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−18.7% vs −15.6% with 2.4 mg and −3.9% with placebo [5]
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A crucial detail is that ATTAIN-1 used investigational orforglipron doses of 6 mg, 12 mg and 36 mg. The authorised UK Foundayo tablets now use strengths from 0.8 mg to 17.2 mg. The ATTAIN-1 percentage therefore describes the published orforglipron trial; it should not be presented as though the study directly tested a UK 17.2 mg Foundayo tablet. [2][6]
The Wegovy figures are numerically greater than the 11.2% figure reported for the highest orforglipron dose in ATTAIN-1. That is a description of separate study results, not proof that Wegovy causes more weight loss than Foundayo in equivalent patients. ATTAIN-1, OASIS 4, STEP 1 and STEP UP differed in population, duration, formulation, protocol and statistical handling. [4][5][6]
The one comparison in this table that is randomised within the same obesity trial is Wegovy 7.2 mg versus Wegovy 2.4 mg in STEP UP. It does not compare semaglutide with orforglipron. [5]
Have orforglipron and semaglutide been compared directly?
Yes, but not in a trial that answers the Foundayo-versus-Wegovy obesity question.ACHIEVE-3 compared once-daily oral orforglipron with oral semaglutide in 1,698 adults with type 2 diabetes that was inadequately controlled with metformin. It ran for 52 weeks and compared orforglipron doses with oral semaglutide 7 mg and 14 mg. Orforglipron produced greater reductions in HbA1c and body weight at the studied doses. [7]
That trial did not compare:
- Foundayo with Wegovy 25 mg tablets for weight management
- Foundayo with Wegovy 2.4 mg or 7.2 mg injections
- The medicines in adults with obesity without diabetes at their UK weight-management regimens
The accurate conclusion is narrower: there is direct head-to-head evidence between orforglipron and oral semaglutide in type 2 diabetes, but there is not yet a direct randomised trial showing which UK weight-management regimen produces greater weight loss in an equivalent obesity population. [7]
Do Foundayo and Wegovy have the same side effects?
There is substantial overlap, particularly in gastrointestinal effects, but the safety information is not identical. The UK information for both medicines includes nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation and abdominal or digestive symptoms among common or very common adverse effects. [2][4][5]
There are also medicine-specific differences that matter in an individual assessment. For example, the Foundayo leaflet states that orforglipron may reduce the effectiveness of oral hormonal contraceptives and advises considering an additional barrier method or a non-oral method for 30 days after starting treatment and for 30 days after each dose increase. [2] The Wegovy tablet SmPC reports no clinically relevant change in exposure to the oral contraceptives studied with semaglutide. [4]
Pregnancy planning also differs in the product information: Foundayo should be stopped at least three weeks before a planned pregnancy, while semaglutide should be stopped at least two months beforehand. Neither medicine should be used during pregnancy. [2][4][5]
A percentage-by-percentage side-effect league table would be misleading because frequencies come from different clinical programmes and populations. The more useful comparison is the current UK product information and the person's own medical history, medicines and risk factors.
Both medicines' UK information warns about acute pancreatitis. Seek immediate medical attention for severe, persistent abdominal pain, particularly pain that may extend to the back. Get immediate medical help for symptoms of a serious allergic reaction such as difficulty breathing or swelling of the face or throat. Sudden loss of vision or rapidly worsening eyesight requires urgent medical assessment. Vomiting and diarrhoea can cause dehydration; follow the product information and seek clinical advice if you are concerned.
Who can use Foundayo and Wegovy in the UK?
For adult weight management, the licensed BMI criteria broadly overlap. Foundayo and both Wegovy formulations are authorised for adults with a BMI of 30 kg/m² or above, or a BMI from 27 to below 30 kg/m² with at least one qualifying weight-related health problem, alongside diet and physical activity. [1][3][4][5]
The licences are not otherwise identical. Foundayo is also authorised for adults with insufficiently controlled type 2 diabetes. [1][2] Injectable Wegovy also has UK indications covering qualifying adolescents aged 12 years and over, cardiovascular risk reduction in certain adults with established cardiovascular disease and overweight or obesity, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). [5] The Wegovy tablet is authorised for adult weight management. [3][4]
These are licensing differences, not a reason to self-select a medicine. Eligibility does not establish suitability for a particular person.
What the evidence cannot tell us yet
Current evidence does not provide:
- a randomised obesity trial comparing orforglipron directly with Wegovy at their UK weight-management regimens;
- evidence that Foundayo's simpler tablet administration leads to better real-world adherence or better weight outcomes than oral Wegovy;
- a valid way to convert Foundayo and Wegovy dose numbers into equivalent “strength”;
- a way to predict an individual's result from a trial average.
That uncertainty is part of the comparison, not something to fill with a winner claim.
Is Foundayo better than Wegovy?
The evidence does not establish that one is universally better than the other.What can be said confidently is that they differ in molecule, formulation, administration, dose schedule, licensed uses and some safety considerations. Separate obesity trials also report different average weight changes, but those trials did not randomise the same type of patient between Foundayo and Wegovy at their UK weight-management regimens. [1][2][4][5][6][7]
For an individual, the relevant question is therefore not simply which percentage is highest. A prescriber needs to consider clinical history, other medicines, safety warnings, previous treatment, side effects and the practicalities of the dosing routine.
Do not switch, stop, restart or alter the dose of either medicine without discussing it with your prescriber.
