On 10 August 2026, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) authorised orforglipron (Foundayo), a GLP-1 tablet, for weight management and type 2 diabetes, reporting that the UK became the first country in Europe to approve it. The authorisation covers weight loss and weight maintenance in UK adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or a BMI between 27 and 30 alongside at least one weight-related comorbidity, used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. It also covers improving glycaemic control in patients with insufficiently controlled type 2 diabetes.

Julian Beach, the MHRA's Executive Director of Healthcare Quality and Access, said the decision followed rigorous assessment of the drug's safety, quality and effectiveness. He added that it is prescription-only and that the MHRA will keep its safety and effectiveness under close review. The tablet is taken once daily without food or water restrictions, starting at 0.8 mg and escalating through 2.5 mg, 5.5 mg, 9 mg, 14.5 mg and 17.2 mg, with at least one month at each dose level. Common side effects listed include nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, vomiting, indigestion and abdominal pain.

The MHRA said the tablet is approved in the UK but is not currently available via the NHS; decisions on NHS use would follow established processes, including an evaluation by NICE. Authorisation was granted to Eli Lilly.