First GLP-1 Medication: What Came First and What to Know (October 2026)

01 · The short answer

What was the first GLP-1 medication in the UK?

The first GLP-1 medicines were injections developed for type 2 diabetes, and later products were licensed for weight management. Two GLP-1 weight-loss tablets are now licensed in the UK: Wegovy tablets (oral semaglutide, made by Novo Nordisk), approved by the MHRA in June 2026, and Foundayo (orforglipron, made by Eli Lilly), approved in August 2026.²⁰²¹

Both are prescription-only. Neither is a tablet version of Mounjaro. There is no tablet form of Mounjaro — tirzepatide is injection-only in the UK.¹

02 · At a glance

How the main options differ

A prescriber will check which option is suitable for your health, your other medicines and your routine.¹ If you want to see how the injection route works, our Mounjaro pen prices and consultation page has live details: your first 2.5mg pen costs £129.99 with code FIRST40 (standard price £169.99).

03 · Access

Why isn't a GLP-1 always the first treatment?

Access to GLP-1 medicines on the NHS is limited by phasing and by eligibility. Mounjaro is available on the NHS, but access is being phased in over several years.⁴⁶ 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 (initially BMI 40+ with four or more qualifying conditions).

These medicines also work alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, not instead of them.² If you want a broader overview, our weight loss clinic page explains the options.

04 · Wegovy tablets

Wegovy tablets: the first GLP-1 pill

Wegovy tablets contain semaglutide, the same active ingredient as the Wegovy injection, taken as one tablet once a day.²⁰ They are licensed for weight management in 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.

The routine is demanding. 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 The most common side effects are digestive: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, indigestion and stomach pain, along with headache and tiredness; gallstones and hair loss are listed as common. 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 the skin or eyes (possible gallbladder problems), or signs of a severe allergic reaction such as swelling of the face or throat and difficulty breathing: seek immediate medical help.

05 · Foundayo

Foundayo: the second GLP-1 tablet

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

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 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

06 · Tablets vs injection

Tablets versus the Mounjaro injection

Mounjaro is a once-weekly injection; Wegovy tablets and Foundayo are once-daily tablets. 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 (SURMOUNT-5 is the trial that compared tirzepatide directly with injected semaglutide).¹⁵

For Mounjaro's own trial result: in the SURMOUNT-1 trial of 2,539 adults, people taking tirzepatide alongside diet and exercise lost on average 15% of their body weight on 5mg, 19.5% on 10mg and 20.9% on 15mg over 72 weeks, compared with 3.1% with lifestyle changes alone.² These are trial averages — individual results vary.

Tirzepatide is the first treatment of its kind to activate two natural gut-hormone receptors at once: GIP and GLP-1.¹ That dual action distinguishes it from single-action GLP-1 medicines such as semaglutide.

07 · Cheap alternatives

What about supplements called natural GLP-1?

"Natural GLP-1" supplements (such as berberine) are not medicines, are not regulated for this use and have no comparable trial evidence.¹ Orlistat is a licensed tablet that blocks some dietary fat absorption and produces smaller average losses.

08 · Starting treatment

If you decide to start

Treatment begins with a free online consultation, reviewed by a GPhC-registered prescriber (GPhC 9012878). If you choose the injection, our guides on preparing for a GLP-1 shot, the first dose, the first day and the first week explain what to expect. To see what is coming next, read about next-generation GLP-1 medicines.