Orforglipron / Foundayo
What it’s used for
Orforglipron is a non-peptide GLP-1 drug taken as a daily pill. The FDA approved it in 2026 as Foundayo for chronic weight management in adults with obesity, or overweight plus a weight-related condition, alongside diet and activity. It's also been studied in type 2 diabetes. Phase 3 trials back it; research-chemical versions aren't the same as the regulated tablet.
- Weight management Approved use FDA-approved with a reduced-calorie diet and activity for adults with obesity, or overweight plus a related condition.
- No injections Approved use A once-daily tablet with no mixing or needles.
- Blood sugar control Human studies Studied in type 2 diabetes, including added to insulin glargine; this isn't part of the approved use.
- Heart safety Human studies In adults with type 2 diabetes and high heart risk, it did no worse than insulin glargine on heart outcomes.
What to expect
- Weeks 1–4
Appetite and digestive (GI) adjustment
- Weeks 4–12
Gradual weight response begins
- Weeks 36–72
Weight response continues; results vary from person to person
Side effects & safety
Side effects
- Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are common
- Headache, fatigue and hair loss
- Low blood sugar, especially alongside insulin or sulfonylureas
- Dehydration, which can lead to kidney injury
- Pancreatitis, gallbladder problems and allergic reactions are listed label risks
- Inhaling stomach contents (aspiration) is a listed label concern
Stop and get help if
- Severe stomach or back pain
- Neck symptoms
- Confusion or other signs of low blood sugar
- Trouble breathing or swelling
- Passing much less urine
- Vision changes
Which symptoms mean call 911 or see a doctor
What regulators say
- Peptide pairings are untested; the CYP3A4, simvastatin, sulfonylurea and birth-control rules come from the July 2026 FDA label.
Avoid or check first if
- Personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) or MEN2 — contraindicated
- Severe stomach or bowel (GI) disease — a listed label risk
- Pregnant — needs medical review first
- Severe liver impairment — needs medical review first
- Already on another GLP-1 drug like semaglutide, tirzepatide or liraglutide — not recommended together
- On birth-control pills — the label calls for backup contraception for 30 days after starting and after each dose increase
- Taking strong CYP3A4 inhibitors or inducers, or simvastatin — the label limits or rules out these combinations
In sport
Not on WADA’s banned list. An FDA-approved GLP-1 pill, and GLP-1 drugs aren’t prohibited in sport, so no exemption is needed.
Which peptides are banned in sport
How much people take
For every goal: Once daily, any time · Oral tablet
- Starting dose (first 30 days) 0.8 mg
- First titration (after 30 days) 2.5 mg
- Second titration (after 60 days) 5.5 mg
- Third titration (based on response) 9 mg
- Fourth titration (based on response) 14.5 mg
- Maximum approved dose 17.2 mg
Similar doses appear in 1 other source
In studies & labels
- Labeled weight management 0.8 mg → … → max 17.2 mg Once daily · Oral tablet · Ongoing clinician assessment Escalation steps require at least 30 days; trial capsules use different strengths.
How to store it
How many units do I draw?
Room temp · 15-30°C In the original packaging, away from moisture and heat; no fridge needed
Ready to use
The oral form doesn’t need mixing.
Is it OK to use?
Don’t use if
- Discolored, crumbling, or damaged tablets
- Moisture exposure or humidity damage
Combining it with others
AI assessment Based on how each compound works, not on studies of the combination. How we assess
Don’t combine 5
- Strong CYP3A4 inducers They cut orforglipron levels. The label says not to combine.
- Strong CYP3A4 and OATP1B inhibitors The label says not to combine.
- Retatrutide Both act on the GLP-1 receptor. Doubling up adds nausea, vomiting and dehydration, not results.
- Survodutide Both act on the GLP-1 receptor. Doubling up adds nausea, vomiting and dehydration, not results.
- Mazdutide Both act on the GLP-1 receptor. Doubling up adds nausea, vomiting and dehydration, not results.
Use caution 13
- Insulin or sulfonylureas Higher risk of low blood sugar. Those doses often need lowering.
- Oral medicines Slower stomach emptying can change how other pills absorb.
- Moderate CYP3A4 inducers May make it work less well. Check with a clinician.
- IGF-1 LR3 Both can lower blood sugar. Together the risk of lows rises.
- MK-677 MK-677 raises hunger and blood sugar, working against the GLP-1 drug.
- GHRP-6 GHRP-6 strongly raises hunger, working against appetite control.
- Tesofensine Tesofensine raises heart rate and blood pressure, and with a strong appetite drug it’s easy to undereat.
- Adipotide Adipotide harmed kidneys in animal studies. Vomiting and dehydration from GLP-1 drugs add kidney strain.
- Melanotan I Both commonly cause nausea. Start one at a time.
- Melanotan II Both commonly cause nausea. Start one at a time.
- PT-141 Both commonly cause nausea. Start one at a time.
- Cagrilintide Both slow the stomach and cut appetite. Nausea adds up, so start one at a time.
- Eloralintide Both slow the stomach and cut appetite. Nausea adds up, so start one at a time.
Can be combined 8
L-Carnitine AOD-9604 5-Amino-1MQ SLU-PP-332 Lipo-C Fat Blaster BPC-157 MOTS-c
What the research says
Solid human studies
Multiple clinical trials and prescribing information cover specific oral formulations. Capsule trial doses and marketed tablets are not interchangeable.
- The heart-safety trial showed it was no worse than insulin glargine, not that it was better.
- Approval covers weight management only; diabetes and heart-health research doesn't extend it.
- Research-chemical versions can't be confirmed for identity or purity and aren't the same as the regulated tablet.
What studies found
- Cardiovascular noninferiority, not superiority ACHIEVE-4 in adults with type 2 diabetes and elevated cardiovascular risk met its noninferiority endpoint versus insulin glargine. Its confidence interval includes no difference.
- Capsule trial doses differ from marketed tablets ACHIEVE-5 used 3, 12 and 36 mg investigational daily doses with insulin glargine. Those strengths must not be substituted into the Foundayo tablet schedule.
- FDA approval of Foundayo, April 1, 2026 Approved with reduced-calorie diet and activity for adult obesity, or overweight with at least one weight-related comorbidity. This is not blanket approval of all source-listed uses.
- Foundayo prescribing information, revised July 2026 Interaction details omitted from the reference include strong CYP3A4 inhibitors/inducers and simvastatin. Strong CYP3A4 inhibitors cap Foundayo at 9 mg/day; avoid inhibitors also blocking OATP1B and strong CYP3A4 inducers. Simvastatin is limited to 20 mg/day. The label also specifies oral-contraceptive backup for 30 days after starting and each escalation. Clinician/pharmacist review is needed for specific medicines.
How long it stays in your body
Half-life is how fast the level in your body halves — not how long effects last or how often to dose.
- Half-life
- 29–49 hours
- Mostly cleared
- 6–10 days ≈97% gone after 5 half-lives
Human data Oral
50–66% left in the body
29 h after a dose
Drag to see how much is left over time.
What it’s made of
- Length
- Nonpeptide
- Molecular weight
- 902.0 Da (calcium salt)
- Formula
- C 48 H 47 F 2 N 10 O 5 · 0 . 5 Ca
Not a peptide, so there is no amino-acid sequence.
The labeled tablet expresses dose as orforglipron; salt mass differs.
Sources
Sources 15
How this page was made
How it may work: GLP-1 signaling affects appetite, glucose and gastric emptying; receptor-bias hypotheses do not prove superior long-term outcomes.
Other names: Orforglipron (Foundayo)
Preparation in studies: No bacteriostatic-water preparation; oral use only.
Source compatibility labels are not safety findings; formulation-specific tablet and trial-capsule doses differ.
Additional interaction rows follow the July 2026 FDA label; reference-only pairing claims remain separate.
Research last checked: Oct 12, 2026 (a targeted search, not a full review).
Community doses, how long people take it, timing and storage are compiled with AI from public peptide guides, clinics and forums, cross-checked against other sources where we could, and rewritten in plain language. “Combining it with others” is an AI assessment of how the compounds work. Study notes are written from each paper’s abstract where one exists. How we source
Original source guide