April 1 (Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Eli Lilly’s oral weight-loss drug, orforglipron, branded as Foundayo, making it the second pill to enter the fast-growing obesity treatment market.
Danish rival Novo Nordisk launched an oral version of its blockbuster weight-loss drug, Wegovy, in the U.S. in January, seeking an edge over its U.S. counterpart as the market shifts toward more convenient alternatives to injectables.
Here are the details of the launch and pricing for their currently approved weight-loss drugs:
APPROVALS AND AVAILABILITY
Eli Lilly
Foundayo (orforglipron): Approved in the United States in 2026 as a once-daily oral GLP-1 therapy for weight loss. Available in the U.S. starting April 6 through the LillyDirect platform, with broader rollout to retail pharmacies and telehealth providers to follow.
Zepbound: Approved in the U.S. in 2023. The drug, chemically known as tirzepatide, is also available in Canada, Australia, Japan, China, India, United Kingdom and the European Union.
Novo Nordisk
Wegovy pill (oral semaglutide): Approved in December 2025 and launched in the U.S. in January 2026.
Wegovy injection: Approved in the U.S. in 2021 and subsequently launched in more than 15 countries across Europe, North America and Asia.
PRICING
Eli Lilly
Foundayo: Self-pay pricing starts at $149 per month for the lowest dose via the LillyDirect program. Most patients are expected to pay around $349 per month, with refill incentives lowering costs to as little as $299.
Zepbound: Available in six doses. The U.S. list price ranges from $499 to $1,086.37, but the amount patients pay largely depends on the prescription drug insurance plan. Those with commercial drug insurance may be eligible to pay as low as $25 for a one- or three-month supply of Zepbound.
Lilly’s U.S. self-pay prices for Zepbound start at $299 a month for the 2.5 mg dose, $399 for 5 mg and $449 for 7.5 mg and higher doses under its “Self Pay Journey Program”.
UK list price, excluding taxes, is £133 for a four-week supply of 2.5 mg pre-filled pen devices, £180 for 5 mg, £255 for the 7.5 mg and 10 mg doses, and £330 for 12.5 mg and 15 mg, according to Britain’s drug-cost watchdog NICE.
Novo Nordisk
Wegovy pill: Patients with commercial insurance pay $25 per month, while self-pay prices start at $149 per month for 1.5 mg and 4 mg through August 31, 2026. After that, 4 mg is $199 per month. The 9 mg and 25 mg doses cost $299 per month.
Wegovy injection: U.S. list price is $1,349.02 per package. Commercial insurance can reduce costs to $25 per month for the pen, while cash-pay customers pay $349 per month for the doses that range from 0.25 mg to 2.4 mg.
UK list price of £175.80 per pack for the 2.4 mg dose, £124.53 for 1.7 mg, and £73.25 for the 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg and 1.0 mg doses, excluding taxes, according to NICE. Each pack contains one pen that delivers four doses.
($1 = 0.7507 pounds)
(Reporting by Mariam Sunny and Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru)
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