Foundayo is Eli Lilly's once-daily GLP-1 pill for weight loss. Its active ingredient is orforglipron, and its label says to take it once a day with or without food, so unlike the semaglutide pills it doesn't need an empty stomach. Lilly calls it the only GLP-1 pill that can be taken any time of day. Paying cash, it starts at $149 a month for the starting dose. Below: what the label says, what Lilly charges by dose and with insurance, and which online clinics we review prescribe it.
By Alexandru Vieru | Independently researched | Every price comes from the seller's own website, with the date we read it. This is general information, not medical advice.
What Foundayo is
Foundayo is orforglipron, a GLP-1 receptor agonist taken as a pill, made by Eli Lilly. A once-daily tablet (0.8, 2.5, 5.5, 9, 14.5 and 17.2 mg).
Who it’s approved for
- Adults with obesity, or adults with overweight and at least one weight-related condition, to lose weight and keep it off, alongside a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity.
How it’s taken
- Once a day, with or without food, swallowed whole (not broken, crushed or chewed), no more than one tablet a day. Unlike the semaglutide tablets, it doesn't need an empty stomach.
Doses
- Starts at 0.8 mg a day; after at least 30 days, 2.5 mg; after at least 30 more days, 5.5 mg. It can then go to 9, 14.5 or 17.2 mg, at least 30 days at each step. The maximum is 17.2 mg a day.
Side effects
The most common, in 5% or more of people in its trials: nausea, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, indigestion, abdominal pain, headache, bloating, fatigue, belching, reflux, gas and hair loss.
The label also warns of pancreatitis, severe stomach and bowel side effects, kidney injury from dehydration, low blood sugar, allergic reactions, diabetic eye complications in type 2 diabetes, gallbladder disease and inhaling stomach contents under anesthesia or deep sedation.
Boxed warning. Risk of thyroid C-cell tumors. Foundayo must not be used by anyone with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2).
From the FDA prescribing information for Foundayo (revised July 2026), read on DailyMed on 16 October 2026. A summary, not medical advice: a clinician decides whether it suits you.
What Foundayo costs from Eli Lilly
Foundayo (orforglipron tablets)
Without insurance (self-pay; a month is 30 days):
| 0.8 mg (starting dose) | $149/month |
|---|---|
| 2.5 mg, temporarily through December 31, 2026 (regular price $199) | $149/month |
| 5.5 mg, temporarily through December 31, 2026 (regular price $299) | $199/month |
| 9 mg | $299/month |
| 14.5 mg, 17.2 mg, refilled within 45 days (purchase offer) | $299/month |
| 14.5 mg, 17.2 mg, regular price | $349/month |
- Eligible patients with commercial insurance that covers it: as little as $25 with the savings card, which saves up to $100 a month (per 1-, 2- or 3-month fill with commercial insurance that covers Foundayo; savings up to $100 per month and $1,000 per calendar year). Government plans are excluded from the card.
- Eligible Medicare patients: $50 a month through the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge (Foundayo for weight management). Program eligibility and terms.
- List price: $649 per 30-day supply. Your pharmacy's cash quote can differ. Manufacturer list-price source.
Read on foundayo.lilly.com, pricinginfo.lilly.com on 16 October 2026.
What is the orforglipron price?
Orforglipron is the active ingredient in Foundayo. The FDA approved it under that name on April 1, 2026, for adults with obesity, or with overweight and at least one weight-related condition, alongside a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity. Orforglipron is sold as Foundayo, so the orforglipron price is the Foundayo price.
Paying cash through Lilly, it starts at $149 a month for the 0.8 mg starting dose. The two highest doses cost $349 a month at the regular price, or $299 a month when each refill is bought within 45 days. Lilly defines a month as 30 days. Before any discount, Lilly's list price is $649 for a 30-day supply. The table above gives every dose.
An offer for "orforglipron" that is not Foundayo dispensed by a licensed pharmacy is not the approved product. The FDA's warning about unapproved GLP-1 drugs explains why such products carry risks the approved medicine does not.
What the first months cost while the dose goes up
The label starts everyone on 0.8 mg a day and allows each step up only after at least 30 days on the current dose: 2.5 mg, then 5.5 mg, then 9, 14.5 or 17.2 mg. Your clinician decides whether and when to move up, and many people stay on a lower dose for longer. Because Lilly prices each strength separately, the monthly bill changes with the dose, not with the calendar.
| If each step comes after 30 days | Dose | Lilly self-pay for that month |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | 0.8 mg | $149 |
| Month 2 | 2.5 mg | $149 (temporary price through December 31, 2026) |
| Month 3 | 5.5 mg | $199 (temporary price through December 31, 2026) |
| Month 4 | 9 mg | $299 |
| Later months | 14.5 or 17.2 mg | $299 with a refill within 45 days, otherwise $349 |
Two conditions in that table are easy to miss. The lower prices for 2.5 mg and 5.5 mg are temporary: Lilly says they last through December 31, 2026, after which those strengths return to their regular prices. And the lower price on the two highest doses depends on buying each refill within 45 days of the previous one, so a gap in treatment resets it.
None of these figures includes a clinician's fee. Lilly's self-pay price is for the medication. If you get the prescription from an online clinic, its care or membership fee is a separate line on your budget.
Buying through Lilly or through an online clinic
There are two common routes. One is to get a prescription from your own doctor or an online clinic and pay Lilly's self-pay price for the pills. The other is to buy a clinic program that bundles the prescription, follow-up and sometimes the medication.
Several clinics we review publish a price for the starting dose. Ro, Weight Watchers Med+ and LifeMD each list it as a medication-only price on their own pages, with the clinic's care fees billed separately. The table below shows each clinic's figure with the date we read it, and the review explains what the clinic's membership costs on top.
When you compare routes, put three numbers side by side: the medication price at your current dose, the clinic fee per month, and how long you commit to. A program that looks cheaper for the first month can cost more once the dose rises, and the reverse is also true. Our 12-month cost comparison shows how a year of treatment adds up at the clinics that publish enough to calculate it.
How it compares with the injections
The tablet is one of several approved options. The semaglutide injections are covered on our semaglutide hub, and Zepbound and Mounjaro on the tirzepatide hub, each with the clinics that prescribe them. A pill suits people who would rather not inject, but the choice between medicines depends on your health history, how well you tolerate side effects and what your insurance covers, which is a decision to make with a clinician.
What to ask before the first prescription
A few questions settle most of the cost surprises before you pay anything.
- Which strength will the first fill be, and when could it change? The price follows the strength, so ask the prescriber what the plan is for the next three months.
- Who fills the prescription? Lilly's self-pay price applies when the pills are bought through Lilly's own channel. A local pharmacy's cash price for the same pills can be different.
- What does the clinic charge on top? A membership or visit fee is separate from the medication. Ask for the monthly figure and whether it continues if you pause treatment.
- What happens if a refill is late? The lower price on the highest doses depends on refilling within 45 days, and a restart after a long gap may mean going back to a lower dose.
- How do you cancel? Ask how to stop a clinic subscription and whether an unused month is refunded, before you sign up rather than after.
Write the answers down with the date. Prices and offers change, and a dated note makes it easy to see whether the bill you receive matches what you were told.
If you have commercial insurance, check coverage first. A plan that covers the medicine can make the savings card far cheaper than any cash route, while a plan that excludes weight-loss drugs leaves the self-pay prices above as the realistic option. Medicare beneficiaries should look at the Bridge program described below before paying cash.
How Foundayo compares with the other pills
- Wegovy pill (semaglutide) is also approved for weight management, but it has to be taken on an empty stomach in the morning, followed by a 30-minute wait before food or other medicines. Self-pay starts at $149 a month.
- Orforglipron can be taken at any time of day, with or without food. Self-pay starts at $149 a month, and the price rises with the dose.
- Rybelsus and Ozempic tablets are semaglutide pills approved for type 2 diabetes, not for weight loss.
Insurance and Medicare
- Commercial insurance that covers Foundayo: Lilly's savings card can bring a 1-, 2- or 3-month fill down to as little as $25. Government plans are excluded from the card.
- No coverage, or no insurance: the self-pay prices above apply. Two of them are temporary: through 31 December 2026, the 2.5 mg dose is $149 and the 5.5 mg dose $199. The two top doses are $299 a month only if each refill is bought within 45 days.
- Medicare: eligible beneficiaries can get Foundayo for weight management for $50 a month through the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge.
Online clinics that prescribe Foundayo
10 of the clinics we review list Foundayo, in the order of our ranking. Prices are each clinic’s own, read on its pages; where a clinic doesn’t publish one, we say so. Partner buttons are affiliate links: we may earn a commission, which never changes a score, a rank or this order.
| Clinic | Foundayo price at the clinic | |
|---|---|---|
 #2 · 7.9/10 · Read the review | Not published on its pages | |
 #6 · 7.7/10 · Read the review | $149/moFoundayo® pill, starting dose (medication only), read 14 October 2026Minimum plan length not stated.Medication quote. Clinic care or membership fees are billed separately.Clinic price source | |
 Weight Watchers Med+#7 · 7.7/10 · Read the review | $149/moFoundayo®, Wegovy® pill or Ozempic® pill (medication only, starting dose), read 14 October 2026Minimum plan length not stated.Medication quote. Clinic care or membership fees are billed separately.Clinic price source | |
 Mochi Health#17 · 7.5/10 · Read the review | Not published on its pages | |
 #27 · 7.2/10 · Read the review | Not published on its pages | |
 Calibrate#35 · 7.0/10 · Read the review | Not published on its pages | |
 #37 · 7.0/10 · Read the review | $149/moFoundayo, low dose, read 4 October 2026Minimum plan length not stated.Medication quote. Clinic care or membership fees are billed separately.Clinic price source | |
 #47 · 6.4/10 · Read the review | Not published on its pages | |
 Ivím Health#49 · 6.2/10 · Read the review | Not published on its pages | |
 Hims & Hers#50 · 6.2/10 · Read the review | Not published on its pages |
Frequently asked questions
Is Foundayo approved for weight loss? Yes. Its label approves it for adults with obesity, or with overweight and at least one weight-related condition, alongside a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity.
How much does Foundayo cost without insurance? From $149 a month for the 0.8 mg starting dose, rising with the dose (a month is 30 days). The full price by dose is in the table above.
How much is orforglipron? Orforglipron is sold as Foundayo, from $149 a month for the starting dose paying cash through Lilly, up to $349 a month for the highest doses at the regular price. With commercial insurance that covers it, the savings card can bring a fill down to as little as $25.
Do I have to take Foundayo on an empty stomach? No. The label says to take it once a day, with or without food, swallowed whole. That is the main practical difference from the semaglutide pills.
What is Foundayo's list price? Lilly gives it as $649 for a 30-day supply. That's the price before insurance discounts; self-pay through Lilly is far lower.
Disclosure: Some clinics in the table above may be affiliate partners; we may be paid a commission when you join through our link. Commission never changes a score, a rank or the order of the table. See our affiliate disclosure and editorial policy.
Medical disclaimer: This page is for information only and is not medical advice. Talk to a licensed clinician before starting or changing any medication.
Sources: the FDA's approval announcement for Foundayo (orforglipron), 1 April 2026, read 18 October 2026; the Foundayo prescribing information on DailyMed, read 16 October 2026; Lilly's Foundayo self-pay, savings card and list prices on foundayo.lilly.com and pricinginfo.lilly.com, read 16 October 2026; the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge on LillyDirect; clinic prices from each clinic's own pages, with the date on each row.