Foundayo for men: what to expect week by week, from the starting dose to maintenance

Foundayo (orforglipron) starts at 0.8 mg once daily. After at least 30 days the dose rises to 2.5 mg. Later steps to 5.5, 9, 14.5 and 17.2 mg each need at least 30 days on the current dose. [1]

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) authorised it on 10 August 2026. [2] It is a tablet you take at any time of day, without food or water restriction. [1]

This article sets out what the UK licence, the main trial and the regulator say about each stage. It is a reference for men starting treatment, so you can read your own experience against what the evidence calls normal.

How does the Foundayo dose build up?

Six tablet strengths, one tablet a day. Everyone starts on 0.8 mg once daily. [1]

Stepping the dose up in stages is called titration. The table shows the schedule in the UK Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) and the patient leaflet. The SmPC is the licence document for the medicine. [1] [3]

Stage	Dose	What the licence says
Days 1 to 30	0.8 mg once daily	The starting dose for everyone
From day 31	2.5 mg once daily	The dose should be increased after at least 30 days
From day 61 at the earliest	5.5 mg once daily	The dose can be increased after at least 30 days on the current dose
Later steps	9 mg, 14.5 mg or 17.2 mg once daily	Each step after at least 30 days on the current dose, based on treatment response and tolerability
Maximum	17.2 mg once daily	Never more than one tablet a day

Is there a maintenance dose?

The licence names none. The maximum is 17.2 mg once daily. More than one tablet a day should not be taken to reach a higher dose. [1]

The dose you stay on is the one you settle on with your clinician.

How do you take the tablet?

Once daily, at any time of day, without food or water restriction. Swallow the tablet whole. Do not break, crush or chew it. [1] [3]

The licence found no clinically relevant food effect. You can take it with or without food. [1]

Do not change your dose unless your doctor has told you to. [3]

What happens in the first 30 days on 0.8 mg?

The first 30 days are about tolerability. The 0.8 mg dose is the starting dose for everyone. [1]

Orforglipron is a GLP-1 receptor agonist. GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) is a hormone your body releases after eating. A receptor agonist is a medicine that acts on the same receptors as the hormone. [2] [1]

Side effects in the first weeks

Digestive side effects are the most frequently reported. [1] MHRA guidance on GLP-1 medicines as a class says they are more likely at the start of treatment or after a recent dose increase. [4]

In the trials these effects were very common. Very common means more than 1 in 10 people: [1] [3]

• nausea
• constipation
• diarrhoea
• vomiting
• dyspepsia (indigestion)
• abdominal pain

The patient leaflet says nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting are most common when first starting and decrease over time in most patients. [3]

Most digestive effects were mild or moderate. [1] They can still cause dehydration. Drink enough fluids, especially if you have kidney problems. [3]

What changes from day 31 at 2.5 mg?

After at least 30 days the dose should rise to 2.5 mg. [1] [3]

Digestive symptoms can return after a dose increase, according to MHRA guidance on GLP-1 medicines as a class. [4] The licence says nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea were higher during the dose escalation period and decreased over time. [1] MHRA class guidance asks prescribers to warn you about them again at each increase. [4]

Pulse and blood pressure

Mean pulse rate rose during dose escalation, peaking 6.7 to 8.6 beats per minute above baseline. By week 72 it had settled to 3.9 to 5.2 beats per minute above baseline. [1]

Blood pressure can fall. Low blood pressure was common and occurred more often in people already taking blood pressure medicines. Those doses may need changing. [1] [3]

Other common effects were dizziness, headache, fast pulse, bloating, burping, reflux, wind and fatigue. Common means between 1 in 100 and 1 in 10 people. [1] [3]

What happens in the following months as the dose rises?

From 5.5 mg upward each step is a decision, not a schedule. Your clinician may move you to 9 mg, then 14.5 mg, then 17.2 mg. Each step needs at least 30 days on the current dose and depends on response and tolerability. [1]

The trials report side effects by dose group against a placebo, an inactive comparison treatment. Across the three trial doses, 60.1% to 68.7% of people had a digestive side effect. On placebo the figure was 36.3%. [1]

Between 3.7% and 6.8% stopped treatment because of a digestive side effect, against 0.6% on placebo. [1]

Counting every kind of adverse event, 5.3% to 10.3% of people on orforglipron stopped treatment. On placebo the figure was 2.7%. [5]

Less common effects to know about

• Gallstones affected 1.3% of people on orforglipron and 0.6% on placebo. Gallbladder events were associated with weight reduction. [1]
• Hair loss was reported by 3.7% on orforglipron and 1.8% on placebo. The licence describes it as transient and associated with weight reduction. [1]
• Acute pancreatitis, inflammation of the pancreas, was uncommon. Uncommon means between 1 in 1,000 and 1 in 100 people. It is serious. The warning signs are in the section on contacting your clinician. [1]

What does treatment look like once your dose settles?

Once you and your clinician settle on a dose, the focus shifts from escalation to consistency. The licence names no single maintenance dose; 17.2 mg once daily is the maximum. [1] No source publishes week-by-week weight figures, so this article gives no weight curve for any week or month.

ATTAIN-1 followed 3,127 adults with obesity or overweight and no type 2 diabetes for 72 weeks. [5] [1] At the start 64% were women and the mean age was 45. Mean BMI (body mass index, your weight against your height) was 37.0. [1]

The trial used hard capsules at three doses, not the tablets now licensed. The licence maps the lowest, middle and highest trial doses to the 5.5 mg, 9 mg and 17.2 mg tablets. It states that capsules and tablets are not substitutable milligram for milligram. [1]

Two sets of results

Trial results come in forms called estimands. An estimand is the exact question an analysis answers.

The journal paper reports the treatment-regimen estimand: weight change in everyone randomised, whatever happened during the trial. [5] The UK product information presents a second set based on all participants randomly assigned a study intervention. It does not name its estimand. [1]

Journal analysis, mean weight change at week 72: [5]

• 7.5% on the lowest trial dose, 8.4% on the middle dose and 11.2% on the highest dose, against 2.1% on placebo.
• On the highest trial dose, 54.6% lost 10% or more. The shares losing 15% or more and 20% or more were 36.0% and 18.4%. On placebo the figures were 12.9%, 5.9% and 2.8%.

What the UK product information reports

Results at week 72, based on all participants randomly assigned: [1]

• 7.8%, 9.3% and 12.4% across the three trial doses, against 0.9% on placebo.
• On the highest trial dose, 77.1% lost 5% or more and 59.6% lost 10% or more. The shares losing 15% or more and 20% or more were 39.6% and 20.1%. On placebo: 22.1%, 8.6%, 3.6% and 1.6%.

No male-only result is published. Average trial results are not a prediction of individual results.

How do the taking rules differ from the Wegovy pill?

The two tablets carry different rules. Orforglipron is a small molecule rather than a peptide. [5] [1] A peptide is a short chain of amino acids. The licence calls orforglipron a nonpeptide small-molecule medicine: it is not built from amino acids.

Foundayo's licence sets no fasting rule, no waiting period and no water limit. You take it once daily at any time of day, without food or water restriction. [1]

The Wegovy tablet's licence sets three rules. Take it on an empty stomach after a fast of at least 8 hours. Swallow it with up to 120 mL of water and then wait at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking or taking other oral medicines. [6]

The reason is absorption. Oral semaglutide has low and variable absorption, which food or large volumes of water reduce. [6]

For that medicine's own timeline, see the Wegovy pill week by week. For orforglipron's licence and trial background, see what the MHRA licence means and what the trials showed.

What if you miss a dose?

Take it as soon as you remember. Do not take more than one dose per day. [3] [1] Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose. [3]

If you take more Foundayo than you should, talk to your doctor immediately. Too much can make you feel sick or be sick. [3]

Do not stop taking Foundayo without talking with your doctor. If you have type 2 diabetes, your blood sugar can rise after stopping. [3]

When should you contact your clinician?

Some symptoms need prompt contact rather than waiting for a scheduled check-in. Seek immediate medical attention for severe and persistent abdominal pain, which may reach your back. This can be a sign of acute pancreatitis. [1] [3]

Contact your clinician promptly for:

• vomiting or diarrhoea that stops you keeping fluids down, because fluid loss can harm the kidneys [1] [3]
• signs of low blood sugar, if you have type 2 diabetes and also take insulin or a sulfonylurea (a type of diabetes tablet) [1] [3]
• dizziness or faintness if you take blood pressure medicines, because your blood pressure can fall and those doses may need changing [1] [3]
• any planned operation under general anaesthetic or deep sedation, so the team knows you take orforglipron [1]
• any new or unusual symptom that worries you

If side effects are severe, your clinician may hold or lower the dose. The licence says dose modification or discontinuation should be considered for severe gastrointestinal symptoms. [1]

Every hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) frequency in the licence relates to people with type 2 diabetes. It was very common with insulin, common with a sulfonylurea and uncommon without either. [1]

What does the black triangle mean?

The MHRA first authorised Foundayo on 10 August 2026. [1] [2] Its product information carries a black triangle, which means the medicine is subject to additional monitoring. [1] The MHRA says it will keep the safety and effectiveness of orforglipron under close review. [2]

Only use medicine from a registered pharmacy with a prescription. The regulator says buying GLP-1 medicines from unregulated sellers carries serious health risks. [2]

How does HeMed fit in?

HeMed starts with a blood test. We measure 10 metabolic markers across four systems from a needle-free blood test at home.

A clinician reviews your blood test first. If they approve treatment, we deliver it the next working day, discreetly packaged, with delivery included in your plan.

Your dose moves on how you are doing, not on a calendar. If side effects are still settling on a lower dose, your clinician can hold that dose before any increase, as the licence allows. [1] No step comes sooner than the licence minimum of 30 days. [1]

A weekly in-app check-in, reviewed by clinicians, so your plan can be adjusted when it needs to be. A retest every 6 months shows what’s actually changing.

Foundayo is a prescription medicine for weight management. Whether it’s right for you is a clinical decision, made from your health information and your baseline blood test.

Frequently asked questions

When do appetite changes start?

The regulator describes orforglipron acting on areas of the brain that regulate appetite. No source gives a week in which that starts. A steady blood level takes about 1 week of daily dosing, and the dose itself builds over months.

When do side effects settle?

The licence says nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea were higher during dose escalation and decreased over time. The patient leaflet says they decrease over time in most patients. The sources say decrease rather than disappear, and they give no week count.

Can I take Foundayo with food?

Yes. The licence says the tablet is taken once daily at any time of day, without food or water restriction. It found no clinically relevant food effect.

What if I miss a dose?

Take it as soon as you remember. Do not take more than one dose a day, and do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten one. If you are unsure, contact your clinician.

Does Foundayo cause hair loss?

Hair loss was reported by 3.7% of people on orforglipron and 1.8% on placebo in the weight management trials. The licence describes it as transient and associated with weight reduction.

Is Foundayo available on the NHS?

Not at the time of authorisation. The MHRA said the tablet is not currently available via the NHS. Decisions on NHS use will follow established processes, including an evaluation by NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence).

HeMed provides clinician-led weight management. Treatment is prescription-only and is prescribed only where a clinician decides it is suitable. This page is general health information, not medical advice. If you are worried about symptoms, speak to your GP, or use NHS 111.

Next step: see what the HeMed blood test measures.

Sources (6)

1. Eli Lilly, Foundayo 17.2 mg film-coated tablets (orforglipron) Summary of Product Characteristics, sections 4.2, 4.4, 4.8, 5.1 and 5.2 (text revised 10 August 2026; first authorisation 10 August 2026). electronic medicines compendium. medicines.org.uk/emc/product/102532/smpc. Accessed 15 October 2026.
2. MHRA, "UK first in Europe to authorise orforglipron for weight management and type 2 diabetes", 10 August 2026. gov.uk/government/news. Accessed 15 October 2026.
3. Eli Lilly, Foundayo film-coated tablets (orforglipron) Patient Information Leaflet, sections 2, 3 and 4 (last updated 14 August 2026). electronic medicines compendium. medicines.org.uk/emc/product/102532/pil. Accessed 15 October 2026.
4. MHRA Drug Safety Update, "GLP-1 receptor agonists: reminder of the potential side effects and to be aware of the potential for misuse", 24 October 2024. Class-level guidance that predates orforglipron. gov.uk/drug-safety-update. Accessed 15 October 2026.
5. Wharton S and colleagues. "Orforglipron, an Oral Small-Molecule GLP-1 Receptor Agonist for Obesity Treatment" (ATTAIN-1). New England Journal of Medicine 2025;393:1796 to 1806. doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2511774. Abstract read via Europe PMC (PMID 40960239); the full text was not consulted. Accessed 15 October 2026.
6. Novo Nordisk, Wegovy 25 mg tablets (semaglutide) Summary of Product Characteristics, sections 4.2 and 5.2 (last updated 16 June 2026). electronic medicines compendium. medicines.org.uk/emc/product/102347/smpc. Accessed 15 October 2026.

Numbered markers in the page text link to these entries. Statistics describe populations, not any one person’s results.