Foundayo Dosage and Maintenance Guide

What doses does Foundayo come in?

Foundayo (orforglipron) comes in six tablet strengths: 0.8 mg, 2.5 mg, 5.5 mg, 9 mg, 14.5 mg, and 17.2 mg. Foundayo doses are taken once a day, at any time, with or without food. 

What is the Foundayo dose escalation schedule?

Foundayo dosing starts at 0.8 mg once daily for at least 30 days. It steps up to 2.5 mg and then 5.5 mg. Higher Foundayo strengths of 9 mg, 14.5 mg, and 17.2 mg are available if you need to keep increasing. Each step requires a minimum of 30 days at the current strength.

The Foundayo dosage chart works like this:

Foundayo Dosage Stages
Month	Foundayo mg Dose	Stage
Month 1	0.8 mg once daily	Starting dose to assess tolerance
Month 2	2.5 mg once daily	First escalation step
Month 3	5.5 mg once daily	Early maintenance range begins
Month 4 and beyond	9 mg, 14.5 mg, or 17.2 mg once daily	Higher strengths if needed.Minimum 30 days at each strength.

This Foundayo dose chart sets the minimum pace of titration. You can stay at any strength for longer if side effects need more time to settle. The same applies if you are already losing weight steadily on a lower dose. You will usually reach a maintenance dose after three to four months on the Foundayo dosing schedule. 

Stepping up the dose faster won’t speed up your results. It increases your chances of experiencing side effects, possibly needing to pause treatment while they settle.

What should I expect during dose escalation?

Foundayo side effects are most common in the first few days after a dose increase. They tend to ease as your body gets used to the medicine. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, and mild stomach pain are the most common side effects. Higher Foundayo doses can intensify these.

Most side effects trace back to what Foundayo is: a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. The same class as Wegovy and Mounjaro injections and the new Wegovy pill.

Patients often find the following useful during dose increases:

• Having smaller, more regular meals spaced throughout the day may work better than having three larger meals.
• Eating slowly, and stopping when you feel full. 
• Avoiding Greasy, fatty, or spicy food in the first few weeks at a new dose
• Stay hydrated with water or electrolytes throughout the day

Symptoms tend to peak around dose changes and improve within two to four weeks at the new strength.

One thing to expect that is not a side effect: feeling full sooner than you used to. Foundayo is meant to dampen your appetite. Eat what feels comfortable – then stop. Pushing through to finish a normal-sized meal may cause nausea and bloating because your stomach is now emptying more slowly.

If nausea or diarrhoea does not improve after a few weeks at the same dose, contact our clinical team. Dose escalation is something we can adjust if your body needs more time.

What is the maintenance dose?

The Foundayo maintenance dose is usually between 5.5 mg and 17.2 mg once daily. This will depend on how you respond to treatment. 5.5 mg is the first maintenance level, reached after around three months of escalation.

The 72-week ATTAIN-1 clinical trial tested orforglipron in adults with obesity. Some participants received Foundayo, and others received a placebo. Neither the patients nor the researchers knew who was getting which. A double-blind and placebo-controlled trial is the gold standard for testing whether a medication actually works.

Trial results showed higher doses produced greater weight loss. Average at the lowest tested dose: around 7.5%. At the highest: about 11%. Patients also saw improvements in waist circumference and blood pressure. How much weight you lose will vary.

Most weight loss happened in the first six months. Steady loss continued through the rest of the trial. The early weeks at lower doses tend to show smaller changes, with the larger reductions arriving once you’re at a maintenance strength. 

Keep to the lowest Foundayo dose that works for you. If you’re losing weight steadily on 5.5 mg with manageable side effects, there’s no reason to increase– stick to it. The 9 mg, 14.5 mg, and 17.2 mg strengths are there for patients who need them to reach their goal.

Our clinical team will review your progress. After 30 days at your current strength, you can request the next dose up if weight loss has stalled. Or stay where you are if side effects are still settling. Message our team for advice before your next order if you’re unsure.

How do you take Foundayo?

You take Foundayo once a day, by mouth. How to take Foundayo is simple. Slot it into your existing daily routine. Take it at any time of day, with or without food and water. Find a time that works for you and keep to it each day. Steady absorption depends on consistency.

Swallow Foundayo whole. Do not split, crush or chew. Cutting the tablet changes how the medication is absorbed and may reduce how well it works.

If you miss a single dose, take it as soon as you remember. Do not take a double dose to make up for it. If you vomit shortly after taking Foundayo, contact our clinical team. We can advise on whether to take a replacement dose or wait until the next day.

Miss seven or more doses in a row? Contact our clinical team. Don’t jump straight back in. Restarting at the wrong strength can bring back side effects. You may need to drop to a lower strength and rebuild back up.

Store Foundayo at room temperature. Unlike GLP-1 injections, no refrigeration is needed. Keep tablets in the original packaging to protect from light and moisture. 

Who can take Foundayo?

Foundayo is approved for adults with obesity (BMI 30 or above). It also covers adults with a BMI of 27 or above who have a weight-related medical condition. Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol are examples. In UK clinical practice, BMI thresholds for GLP-1 medications run lower for people of South Asian, Chinese, Black African, African-Caribbean, or Middle Eastern backgrounds. The same health problems can appear at a lower BMI in these groups.

Foundayo works best alongside a healthy, balanced diet and increased physical activity to reduce weight and keep it off long-term.

Eli Lilly and Company developed Foundayo. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved it on 1 April 2026 for use in the United States. UK approval from the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) is expected later in 2026. We’ll confirm UK eligibility once it lands.

Who shouldn’t take Foundayo?

Foundayo is not safe for everyone. The FDA lists clear restrictions, and our clinical team will check your medical history before prescribing.

Foundayo is not appropriate for you if you have:

• A personal or family history of a rare type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC)
• MEN 2 (multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2), a condition that raises your risk of thyroid cancer
• A known serious allergic reaction to orforglipron or any of its ingredients
• Severe gastroparesis, where your stomach empties extremely slowly
• Severe liver problems
• A history of pancreatitis or gallbladder problems
• Diabetic retinopathy

Foundayo is not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding. If you become pregnant while taking Foundayo, stop the medication and contact our clinical team straight away.

Older adults can take Foundayo at the standard doses without modification. Mild or moderate kidney or liver problems also do not require dose changes, but may require close monitoring from a healthcare professional. Foundayo is not recommended if you have severe liver impairment.

Which medications affect Foundayo?

Several common medications can change how Foundayo works in your body. Some medications increase Foundayo levels enough that the dose must stay lower. Others reduce absorption and make treatment less effective.

Raise Foundayo levels (maximum dose: 9 mg daily)	Lower Foundayo levels (do not take alongside Foundayo)
Clarithromycin (an antibiotic for chest and skin infections)	Carbamazepine (epilepsy treatment)
Verapamil (high blood pressure and heart problems)	Rifampicin (an antibiotic for severe infections)
	St John’s Wort (herbal supplement, sometimes taken for low mood)

Tell us about every medicine you take before you start, including over-the-counter and herbal supplements.

Foundayo can also affect how the contraceptive pill is absorbed. If you take a combined or progestogen-only oral contraceptive, switch to a non-oral method. Options include the implant, coil, or injection. Or add a barrier method like condoms. Use this for 30 days after starting Foundayo and for 30 days after each dose increase.

Diabetes medications may need a dose adjustment alongside Foundayo. The risk is low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia), especially if you take insulin or a sulfonylurea like gliclazide, glibenclamide, or glimepiride. Tell us about your diabetes medications before starting Foundayo. Your GP or diabetic clinic should know too, so they can review your dose.

Alcohol does not interact directly with Foundayo. But it may worsen nausea, particularly during early dose changes. Drinking less while you adjust to a new strength can help. Alcohol may also affect blood sugar control if you take insulin or a sulfonylurea. Speak to your diabetes team about safe limits.

When should I see a doctor?

Stop taking Foundayo and get medical attention straightaway if you notice:

• Severe stomach pain that goes through to your back, with or without vomiting. This can be a sign of pancreatitis, inflammation of the pancreas.
• A lump in your neck, ongoing hoarseness, trouble swallowing, or trouble breathing. May signal a thyroid issue.
• Vomiting that does not settle, or if you have signs of dehydration like dark urine, dizziness, or feeling more thirsty than usual.
• Yellowing of the skin or eyes, or pain in the upper right side of your stomach. It could indicate a gallbladder issue.
• An allergic reaction, such as swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Changes to your vision.

Call 999 or go to A&E for an allergic reaction with throat or breathing symptoms, or severe stomach pain that will not settle.

If you are not sure how serious a symptom is and need clinical advice out of hours, call NHS 111.

Our clinical team can advise on nausea that lasts beyond a few weeks or side effects that are not settling. They can also answer questions about whether your dose is the right fit.

Key takeaways

• Foundayo tablets come in six strengths, from 0.8 mg to 17.2 mg.
• Orforglipron dosage follows a fixed pattern. Every patient starts at 0.8 mg.
• Dose increases happen no sooner than every 30 days.
• Maintenance treatment may stay as low as 5.5 mg.
• Missed more than seven doses? Speak to us before restarting.

References

Foundayo (orforglipron) tablets, for oral use, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026 [Accessed 4 May 2026]

Orforglipron, an Oral Small-Molecule GLP-1 Receptor Agonist for Obesity Treatment, New England Journal of Medicine, 2025 [Accessed 4 May 2026]

FDA Approves Lilly’s Foundayo (orforglipron) for Weight Loss, Eli Lilly and Company, 2026 [Accessed 4 May 2026]

Overweight and obesity management (NG246),National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2025 [Accessed 4 May 2026]