Are There Oral GLP-1 Medicines? UK Guide (October 2026)

01 · The short answer

Which GLP-1 can be taken orally?

Two GLP-1 tablets are licensed for weight management in the UK: Wegovy tablets, made by Novo Nordisk, and Foundayo, made by Eli Lilly. Both are prescription-only and have their own dosing, eligibility checks and trial results.²⁰²¹ You can read each in more detail on our pages for the Wegovy pill and Foundayo (orforglipron).

If you were hoping for a tablet version of Mounjaro, there is none. Tirzepatide is injection-only in the UK, as we explain in our guides on whether there is an oral version of Mounjaro and an oral tirzepatide.¹

02 · Your decision

Pill or injection: what are you really choosing?

You are choosing a routine as much as a medicine. Wegovy tablets need a strict empty-stomach routine every morning, Foundayo has no food or water rules, and Mounjaro needs a single injection a week. A prescriber will check which option is suitable for your health, your other medicines and your routine.²⁰²¹

No trial has compared Mounjaro directly with either tablet, so results from separate trials, with different people, durations and doses, should not be set against each other as if they were head to head.¹⁵ If an injection suits you, you can see the Mounjaro pen, prices and consultation, or start with our weight loss clinic.

Related guide: Is there an alternative to glp 1.

03 · Wegovy tablets

Wegovy tablets (oral semaglutide)

Wegovy tablets contain semaglutide, the same active ingredient as the Wegovy injection, taken as one tablet once a day. They are licensed for adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or 27 to under 30 with at least one weight-related condition, alongside a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity.²⁰

Treatment starts at 1.5mg once daily and steps up to 4mg, 9mg and then the 25mg maintenance dose, with at least one month at each dose; the dose can stay at an earlier step if needed.²⁰ The tablet must be taken on an empty stomach after fasting for at least 8 hours, swallowed whole with a sip of water (up to half a glass, about 120ml), and you then wait at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking or taking other tablets.²⁰

In the OASIS 4 trial, adults taking semaglutide 25mg tablets for 64 weeks lost on average 13.6% of their body weight, compared with 2.2% on placebo.²² Individual results vary. The most common side effects are digestive: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, indigestion and stomach pain.²²

04 · Foundayo

Foundayo (orforglipron)

Foundayo contains orforglipron, a once-daily GLP-1 tablet made by Eli Lilly, the maker of Mounjaro. Unlike Wegovy tablets it can be taken at any time of day, with or without food and without water restrictions; the tablet is swallowed whole.²¹ It has the same BMI eligibility as Wegovy tablets.

Treatment starts at 0.8mg once daily, then steps up to 2.5mg and 5.5mg, and then to 9mg, 14.5mg or 17.2mg depending on response and tolerability, with at least 30 days at each dose; 17.2mg once daily is the maximum.²¹ If a dose is missed, take it as soon as possible, but never more than one tablet a day.

Foundayo may make oral contraceptive pills less effective: switch to a non-oral method or add a barrier method for 30 days after starting and for 30 days after each dose increase.²¹ For Mounjaro, the contraceptive pill advice is different: switch to a non-oral method or add a barrier method for 4 weeks after starting Mounjaro and for 4 weeks after each dose increase.

In the ATTAIN-1 trial of 3,127 adults without type 2 diabetes, people taking the highest dose of orforglipron for 72 weeks lost on average 12.4% of their body weight, compared with 0.9% on placebo; the two lower doses gave 7.8% and 9.3%.²³ Individual results vary, and the most common side effects are digestive.

05 · What is not a GLP-1 pill

What is not a real GLP-1 pill

'Natural GLP-1' supplements, such as berberine, are not medicines, are not regulated for this use and have no comparable trial evidence. They are low-cost and available without assessment, which is a reason for caution rather than a benefit.²⁰

Orlistat is a tablet, but it is not a GLP-1: it blocks some dietary fat absorption and produces smaller average losses. Wegovy and Saxenda (liraglutide) are other licensed injectables.²¹ For more options, see our guides to GLP-1 oral medications, oral GLP-1 weight loss and the alternatives to GLP-1.

06 · Serious side effects

Serious side effects: when to get help straight away

Serious side effects are uncommon but need urgent attention. Seek immediate medical help for: severe, persistent stomach pain that may spread to your back, with or without vomiting (possible pancreatitis); pain in the upper right abdomen, fever or yellowing of skin/eyes (possible gallbladder problems); or signs of a severe allergic reaction such as swelling of the face or throat and difficulty breathing. If you take insulin or a sulfonylurea alongside Mounjaro, watch for low blood sugar (shakiness, sweating, confusion) — your prescriber may need to adjust those medicines.¹

07 · NHS access

NHS access to GLP-1 treatment

Mounjaro is available on the NHS, but access is being phased in over several years. NICE recommends it for adults with a BMI of at least 35 plus at least one weight-related condition, and the NHS primary-care rollout began in June 2025 with the highest-need groups first.⁴⁶