A second weight-loss pill, called Foundayo (orforglipron), has just been approved in the U.S. by the FDA. This new medication joins another pill called Wegovy (oral semaglutide), which was approved a few months earlier and is already available. Both pills work by helping control hunger and are part of a group of medicines called GLP-1 agonists, which have become very popular for weight management.
Eli Lilly, the company that makes Foundayo, has already started taking orders for the pill through their website, LillyDirect, even though shipments won’t begin until next week. This gives Foundayo a chance to start building a market presence by the end of 2026. Experts estimate that Foundayo could generate as much as $1.6 billion in sales this year, though it’s unlikely to replace Lilly’s injectable weight-loss drug, Zepbound, which is already a top seller. Instead, analysts suggest investors focus on the overall growth of the weight-loss medication market.
For Foundayo to reach $1.7 billion in sales this year, experts say Lilly would need to fill about 5.4 million prescriptions from April to December. To hit $2 billion, they would need around 6 million prescriptions. These numbers are considered achievable, especially since Wegovy is already seeing strong demand. For comparison, Zepbound, which is an injectable medication, had about 6.4 million prescriptions in its first full year on the market.
One advantage of Foundayo over Wegovy is that it doesn’t require any food restrictions. Wegovy must be taken on an empty stomach with just 4 ounces of water and no food for 30 minutes after. Foundayo may also help reduce the number of people choosing Wegovy once it’s available. However, Wegovy has a slight price advantage at lower doses. The highest dose of Foundayo costs $349 per month for cash-paying patients, while the highest dose of Wegovy costs $299 per month for the same group. Lilly is offering a discount on Foundayo, lowering the price to $299 per month for the highest doses if prescriptions are refilled within 45 days. Most patients will likely start with cash-pay options like LillyDirect until insurance coverage becomes more widely available this summer. The full list price for Foundayo is $649 per month before any discounts.
Novo Nordisk, the company that makes Wegovy, is not sitting back. They recently shared early data suggesting Wegovy helps with greater weight loss than Foundayo in a study that compared the two indirectly. Patients also seemed to prefer the effects of Wegovy over Foundayo in another study. Novo Nordisk plans to share more detailed data at an upcoming conference to highlight Wegovy’s benefits.
Despite the competition between these two new pills, experts agree that injectable weight-loss drugs like Zepbound and Wegovy will likely continue to dominate the market, making up about 80% of all weight-loss medication sales. This is because injectables tend to be more effective for people with higher body weights. However, the arrival of these new oral options could help more people try weight-loss medications, including those who are overweight but don’t have obesity. Some studies suggest Foundayo could help people lose high-single-digit percentages of their body weight compared to placebos. This could be particularly appealing to the estimated 32% of U.S. adults who are overweight but not classified as having obesity.