Orforglipron_
Also known as Foundayo, LY3502970
The first GLP-1 weight-loss pill, approved in 2026 and taken any time of day.
Common vial size is what vendors typically sell, not a recommendation. Enter your own vial in the calculator.
What is Orforglipron?
Plain language first. The technical label stays, but it never stands alone.Overview
Orforglipron is an oral GLP-1 receptor agonist, and unlike most of this group it is a small molecule rather than a peptide, so it survives digestion as a pill. In plain terms: it gives the same appetite control as the injectable GLP-1 drugs without needles, and unlike earlier oral versions it does not need to be taken on an empty stomach.
What it's used for
People use it for weight loss without injections. In trials people lost roughly 12 to 15% of their body weight.
How does Orforglipron work?
What it does in the body, and where.Orforglipron reaches the same receptor as semaglutide by a completely different chemical route. It is not a peptide at all, which is precisely why it can be a pill.
- 01It activates the GLP-1 receptorSame target, same downstream effects on appetite and stomach emptying.
- 02Being a small molecule, it survives digestionPeptides are broken apart in the stomach, which is why the rest of this class is injected. A small molecule passes through intact.
- 03No refrigeration, no needlesIt is a tablet you can take at any time of day, with or without food or water, which changes who is realistically able to use this class of drug.
- 04The dose climbs in six steps0.8 mg up to a maximum of 17.2 mg, each increase at least 30 days apart. Reaching the top takes around 20 weeks.
Acts on one receptor.
What else is it used for?
Each use below carries its own evidence level. Approved means regulators have cleared it for that purpose. Investigational means it is in trials. Early research means it is being studied and is not established.
- Long-term weight management in adults with obesity, or overweight plus a weight-related condition. This is its approved useFDA-approved
- Type 2 diabetes blood sugar controlInvestigational
How much, and do you cycle it?
The range, and whether you take breaks.0.8 up to 17.2 mg per day (six steps, 30 days apart), daily. Not cycled in the trialsTrial dose
Given continuously for the whole study period: ATTAIN-1, 72 weeks. The dose is stepped up at the start, which is a ramp rather than a cycle, and no trial in this class built in a planned break.
How do I dose and price it?
Enter your vial and your dose. Pick a mix. We show the draw and the cost.The vial holds a fixed amount of drug. Adding more water does not make more drug, it just spreads it thinner, so you draw a bigger number on the syringe for the same dose.
Orforglipron is not injected
It is taken by mouth (oral). Six steps: 0.8, 2.5, 5.5, 9, 14.5, then 17.2 mg once daily, each at least 30 days apart. Reaching the top takes about 20 weeks. Cap at 9 mg if taken with a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor.
How do you store it?
Before mixing, and after.Room temperature. Cool, dry, out of light.
Orforglipron is taken as a pill or capsule. Keep it in its original container at room temperature, away from heat, humidity, and direct sun. No fridge or mixing needed. Check the expiration date on the bottle.
What are the side effects and cautions?
Known cautions and warnings for this compound.22 July 2026Approved by the FDA on 1 April 2026 under the brand name Foundayo, the first oral GLP-1 pill for weight loss. It was cleared in a 50-day review under the FDA's National Priority Voucher programme. Approved only for weight management so far. Its use in type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and knee arthritis is still being trialled.
Who should avoid it
- A personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer, or the genetic condition MEN 2, which is a boxed warning
- Taking another GLP-1 medicine at the same time
- Pregnancy
- Children, where it has not been established
Stop and get help
- A lump or swelling in your neck, hoarseness, or trouble swallowing
- Severe stomach pain that spreads to your back
- Signs of an allergic reaction such as face or throat swelling or trouble breathing
Common effects
- Nausea, constipation, diarrhea, and vomiting
- Indigestion and stomach pain
- Headache
- Hair loss
Where this page says nothing is established, that means nobody has studied it, not that a compound is safe.
Is Orforglipron approved?
And where the numbers on this page come from.Yes. FDA-approved.
Approved by the FDA on 1 April 2026 under the brand name Foundayo, the first oral GLP-1 pill for weight loss. It was cleared in a 50-day review under the FDA's National Priority Voucher programme. Approved only for weight management so far. Its use in type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and knee arthritis is still being trialled.
- DoseFrom the drug label. The manufacturer tested this range and a regulator reviewed it.
- Vial sizeFrom what vendors typically list; not a recommendation.
- Sources
- Reviewed22 July 2026
What else is like Orforglipron?
Others in Weight loss and metabolic, side by side.If you're weighing Orforglipron, it's worth reading Semaglutide, Tirzepatide, and Retatrutide in the same class.
The first GLP-1 weight-loss pill, approved in 2026 and taken any time of day.
- Dose
- 0.8 up to 17.2 mg per day (six steps, 30 days apart)
- How often
- Daily
The drug in Ozempic and Wegovy: a weekly shot that curbs hunger for steady weight loss.
- Dose
- 0.25 up to 2.4 mg per week (start low, increase slowly)
- How often
- Weekly
The drug in Mounjaro and Zepbound: a weekly shot for major weight loss and blood sugar.
- Dose
- 2.5 up to 15 mg per week (start low, increase slowly)
- How often
- Weekly
An experimental weekly shot with some of the biggest weight-loss numbers yet in trials.
- Dose
- 1 up to 12 mg per dose (start low, increase slowly)
- How often
- Weekly
10What these words mean
Show glossary +
What these words mean
- Titrate
- Starting at a low dose and increasing it slowly over time so your body adjusts and side effects stay mild.
- Subcutaneous
- An injection just under the skin, into the fat layer, usually with a short, thin insulin needle.
- Intramuscular (IM)
- An injection into a muscle, using a longer needle.
- Reconstitution
- Mixing a powdered peptide with liquid (bacteriostatic water) so it can be drawn into a syringe.
- Bacteriostatic water
- Sterile water with a tiny amount of preservative, used to mix powdered peptides.
- Concentration
- How strong the mixed peptide is, in milligrams per milliliter (mg/mL). More water makes it weaker; less water makes it stronger.
- Units (on the syringe)
- The marks on an insulin syringe. 100 units equals 1 mL. They measure how much liquid you draw, not the dose in milligrams.
- mcg and mg
- Units of dose. 1 milligram (mg) equals 1,000 micrograms (mcg).
- GLP-1
- A natural gut hormone that lowers appetite and blood sugar. Drugs that copy it, like semaglutide, are used for weight loss.
- Growth hormone secretagogue
- A compound that nudges your body to release more of its own growth hormone, rather than injecting the hormone itself.
- Half-life
- How long a compound stays active in your body. A longer half-life means you inject less often.
- Peptide vs small molecule
- A peptide is a short chain of amino acids. A few items here (like MK-677 or methylene blue) are small molecules, not true peptides, but people use them the same way.
- Research only
- No approved dose or use in people. Sold for research and not reviewed by the FDA for safety or quality.
- Investigational
- Still being tested in clinical trials and not yet approved or legally sold for general use.
- Banned in drug-tested sport
- Prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA); using it can disqualify a competing athlete.
Sources
- FDA press announcement, first approval under the National Priority Voucher programme(2026)FDA approval of the first oral small-molecule GLP-1 for weight management.
- Drugs.com, Foundayo approval history(2026)Approval timeline and label details.
Last reviewed 22 July 2026