What "GLP-1 medication" actually means

GLP-1 stands for glucagon-like peptide-1, a hormone the gut releases after you eat. The medicines people call "GLP-1 drugs" are more precisely GLP-1 receptor agonists: they act on the same receptor, which reduces appetite, slows how quickly the stomach empties and increases the feeling of fullness — how they help with weight and blood-sugar control.[1]

Not all of them work on GLP-1 alone. Tirzepatide — the active ingredient in Mounjaro — also acts on a second gut hormone, GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide), so it is described as a "dual" GIP and GLP-1 agonist, sometimes nicknamed a "twincretin".[2] Most of these medicines are peptides — small protein-like molecules — engineered to last long enough to be given as a once-weekly injection under the skin, which until recently was the only way to take them.[1]

Key takeaway

All of these are prescription-only medicines. They are not lifestyle products, they are not interchangeable, and none of them is a substitute for a conversation with a qualified prescriber. This site is here to explain the category clearly — not to sell, recommend or help you buy anything, and it carries no prices.

GLP injections and the GLP pill: what is different

Peptides are fragile: the stomach breaks them down easily, which is why the traditional GLP-1 medicines are injected rather than swallowed. The two headline injections in the UK — Wegovy and Mounjaro — are both given once a week.

The newer development is the GLP-1 pill, and there are two quite different kinds. Oral semaglutide (the "Wegovy pill") is the same peptide as the Wegovy injection in tablet form, so it has to be taken in a specific way to survive the stomach and be absorbed. Foundayo (orforglipron) is a different sort of molecule: an oral small-molecule (non-peptide) GLP-1 receptor agonist.[16] Because it is a conventional chemical compound rather than a peptide, it does not need those restrictions — the manufacturer says it can be taken at any time of day, with or without food or water.[15] Closing the gap between a fragile weekly injection and a simple daily tablet is what the whole category has been moving towards.

The GLP-1 drugs UK patients ask about

Four products dominate UK searches. They are at very different stages of UK availability, so the honest short version is on each card, and the section below sets out where each one actually stands.

Semaglutide · weekly injection

Wegovy

The once-weekly semaglutide injection, licensed in the UK for weight management. A single-dose 7.2 mg pen was added in 2026. Our Wegovy page covers the doses, the trial results and how NHS access works.

 Oral semaglutide · daily tablet

Wegovy pill (oral semaglutide)

The UK's first GLP-1 tablet licensed for weight management, approved by the MHRA in June 2026. Being licensed is not the same as being on the NHS. Our Wegovy pill page sets out what is confirmed.

 Tirzepatide · dual GIP/GLP-1

Mounjaro

The once-weekly tirzepatide injection — the dual GIP and GLP-1 agonist — licensed in the UK for weight management since 2023, with a phased NHS rollout. Our Mounjaro page has the doses and trial data.

 Orforglipron · daily tablet

Foundayo

Eli Lilly's once-daily oral small-molecule GLP-1 tablet, approved in the United States in April 2026 but not yet licensed by the MHRA — so there is no lawful UK supply today. Our Foundayo page tracks the UK position.

Where each medicine stands in the UK

Wegovy (semaglutide injection)

Wegovy is once-weekly semaglutide, given by injection under the skin, made by Novo Nordisk. It is licensed in the UK for weight management in adults with a BMI of 30 kg/m² or more, or 27 to under 30 with a weight-related health problem, and for some adolescents aged 12 and over.[1] In STEP 1 (1,961 adults, 68 weeks), average weight change was about −14.9% versus −2.4% on placebo.[10] A single-dose 7.2 mg pen — a higher maximum dose — was approved by the MHRA on 14 April 2026.[9] On the NHS, NICE (TA875) recommends it only within a specialist weight-management service, for up to two years.[11] Our Wegovy page goes further.

Wegovy pill (oral semaglutide)

The "Wegovy pill" is once-daily oral semaglutide 25 mg — the same active ingredient as the injection, in tablet form.[8] On 11 June 2026 the MHRA approved it as the UK's first GLP-1 tablet licensed for weight management.[7] As a peptide tablet it is started low and stepped up to the 25 mg maintenance dose, and has to be taken in a particular way to be absorbed — the trade-off the small-molecule approach (Foundayo) avoids. Being licensed is not the same as being on the NHS: that depends on a separate NICE appraisal, which had not concluded at the time of writing.[7] Our Wegovy pill page tracks the detail.

Mounjaro (tirzepatide injection)

Mounjaro is once-weekly tirzepatide, the dual GIP and GLP-1 agonist, made by Eli Lilly.[2] The MHRA authorised it for weight management in adults aged 18 and over on 8 November 2023, for a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 to 30 with a weight-related condition.[3] It runs from 2.5 mg to a maximum of 15 mg once weekly, starting at 2.5 mg for four weeks and rising in 2.5 mg steps no more often than every four weeks.[3] In SURMOUNT-1 (2,539 adults, 72 weeks), the 15 mg dose gave average weight loss of about −22.5% (efficacy estimand; about −20.9% on the treatment-regimen estimand, which counts people regardless of whether they stopped) versus −2.4% on placebo.[4] On the NHS, NICE recommended it (TA1026, final guidance 23 December 2024) for a BMI of 35 or more plus a weight-related condition, with a phased primary-care rollout from 23 June 2025 starting with highest clinical need.[5][6] Note there is no "Zepbound" brand in the UK — that is the US weight-loss name for the same molecule; UK patients receive Mounjaro. Our Mounjaro page has more.

Foundayo (orforglipron)

Foundayo (orforglipron) is Eli Lilly's once-daily oral small-molecule GLP-1 tablet. The US Food and Drug Administration approved it on 1 April 2026 for adults with obesity, or some adults with overweight plus weight-related medical problems, alongside a reduced-calorie diet and more activity.[12][13] It comes in six strengths from 0.8 mg to a maximum of 17.2 mg once daily, each step held at least about 30 days,[14] and can be taken any time of day with or without food or water.[15] In ATTAIN-1 (3,127 adults, 72 weeks), the top dose gave average weight change of about −12.4% versus −0.9% on placebo (efficacy estimand).[16]

Foundayo has no UK licence yet

Foundayo's US approval is not a UK approval. As of mid-2026 it has no MHRA licence, which means there is no lawful way to buy it in the UK, and anyone selling "Foundayo" to UK customers today is acting illegally — what arrives may not be a regulated medicine at all. Some industry commentators expect an MHRA decision around late 2026 to early 2027, but that is an unconfirmed expectation only, not a commitment from Lilly or the MHRA, and any NHS use would need a separate NICE appraisal afterwards. If you are checking whether an online seller is legitimate, the government's advice is at fakemeds.campaign.gov.uk.[21] Our Foundayo page follows this closely.

These four are not the whole GLP-1 drugs list. Saxenda (liraglutide) is a once-daily injection also licensed in the UK for weight management.[18] Ozempic is the same molecule as Wegovy (semaglutide) but is licensed in the UK for type 2 diabetes, not weight loss — so using it for weight loss is off-label, and the MHRA points to the licensed weight-loss options instead.[19]

Side effects: what the class has in common

The GLP-1 medicines share a broadly similar side-effect pattern. The effects are mostly gastrointestinal — nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting and constipation — usually mild to moderate, and dose-related, which is the main reason doses are increased gradually rather than started high; they tend to settle over the first weeks.[1][18]

To put numbers on it: in the UK label for the Wegovy injection, the "very common" effects (affecting at least 1 in 10 people) include nausea 43.9%, diarrhoea 29.7%, vomiting 24.5% and constipation 24.2%.[1] In the 72-week ATTAIN-1 trial of orforglipron, nausea affected roughly 29% to 36% of participants against about 10% on placebo, and the proportion stopping because of side effects rose with dose, from about 5.3% to 10.3%.[16] Numbers like these describe one medicine in one setting — a useful illustration of the pattern, not a prediction for any individual.

There are also more serious warnings a prescriber weighs up. In the United States, the prescribing information for tirzepatide (Mounjaro) carries a boxed warning about a risk of thyroid C-cell tumours and lists a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma, or the inherited condition Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2), as reasons not to use it.[17] The US prescribing information for the other GLP-1 receptor agonists in this class carries the same boxed warning. By contrast, the UK Summaries of Product Characteristics for the licensed injectables handle this differently, listing hypersensitivity as the only contraindication and treating thyroid risk as a precaution.[1] Class-wide, labels also flag pancreatitis, gallbladder problems, dehydration and kidney injury from severe vomiting or diarrhoea, and low blood sugar with insulin or a sulfonylurea. One point specific to Mounjaro: its UK label warns that oral contraceptives may be less reliable around starting or increasing the dose, and suggests an added barrier method for a time.[2]

Report side effects

If you experience a side effect from any medicine, you can report it through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme at yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk, and you should speak to your GP or pharmacist.[20]

Getting GLP-1 medication in the UK

Because every medicine on this page is prescription-only — and one of them is not licensed here at all — access is not a shopping decision. There are, in effect, two separate gates. First, a medicine must be licensed by the MHRA; second, it must be recommended by NICE before it is routinely funded on the NHS. Licensing alone does not put a medicine on the NHS, which is why "approved" and "available on the NHS" can be a long way apart.[7]

Where supply is lawful, it works the same way for all of them:

  • a qualified prescriber assesses whether a medicine is appropriate, after a proper consultation;
  • the medicine is dispensed by a regulated pharmacy; and
  • the dose is set and adjusted by that prescriber, not by the patient.

NHS access is deliberately narrow and phased, aimed first at those in highest clinical need,[5][6] so it does not mean broad, open availability. This site does not name, rank or link to any pharmacy, clinic or online provider, and it carries no prices. If a medicine is unlicensed in the UK — as Foundayo is today — there is no legitimate UK route to it, and any seller claiming otherwise is a red flag rather than a shortcut.

For a side-by-side view of how these medicines differ, see our GLP-1 medication comparison, and our frequently asked questions page.

Frequently asked questions

What is GLP-1 medication?

It means medicines called GLP-1 receptor agonists. GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) is a hormone the gut releases after eating, and these medicines act on the same receptor — reducing appetite, slowing the stomach emptying and increasing fullness.[1] One of them, tirzepatide (Mounjaro), also acts on a second gut hormone, GIP.[2] They are prescription-only in the UK and are used, alongside diet and physical activity, as one option to help reduce excess body weight.

What is the difference between a GLP-1 injection and a GLP-1 pill?

Most GLP-1 medicines are peptides given by injection, usually weekly, because peptides are broken down easily in the stomach. Two oral options now exist: the Wegovy pill is oral semaglutide, a peptide tablet that must be taken in a particular way, while Foundayo (orforglipron) is an oral small-molecule tablet the manufacturer says can be taken any time of day, with or without food or water.[15][16]

Which GLP-1 drugs can UK patients get?

The injections Wegovy (semaglutide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) are licensed in the UK for weight management, as is Saxenda (liraglutide).[1][3][18] Oral semaglutide (the Wegovy pill) was approved by the MHRA on 11 June 2026.[7] Foundayo (orforglipron) has no UK licence, so there is no lawful UK supply. All are prescription-only, and Ozempic is licensed for type 2 diabetes rather than weight loss.[19]

Is there a GLP-1 weight-loss pill available in the UK?

Yes, in principle. On 11 June 2026 the MHRA approved oral semaglutide 25 mg (the Wegovy pill) as the UK's first GLP-1 tablet licensed for weight management.[7][8] Being licensed is not the same as being on the NHS — that depends on a separate NICE appraisal. Foundayo (orforglipron) is not licensed in the UK yet, so it cannot lawfully be prescribed or sold here. See the Wegovy pill page.

Do GLP-1 pills work as well as the injections?

The trials are not head-to-head, so direct comparison is limited. In their own studies the injections have generally shown larger average weight loss — tirzepatide 15 mg reached about 22.5% (efficacy estimand) over 72 weeks in SURMOUNT-1,[4] and semaglutide injection about 14.9% over 68 weeks in STEP 1[10] — than the oral small-molecule orforglipron, at about 12.4% at its top dose in ATTAIN-1.[16] These are different trials with different measures, and which medicine suits a person is a prescriber's judgement.

What are the side effects of GLP-1 medication?

The most common are gastrointestinal — nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting and constipation — usually mild to moderate and dose-related. In the UK label for the Wegovy injection, nausea affected about 43.9% of users.[1] In the ATTAIN-1 trial of orforglipron, nausea affected roughly 29% to 36% of participants against about 10% on placebo.[16] Any side effect can be reported via the MHRA Yellow Card scheme at yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk.[20]

References

  1. electronic medicines compendium. "Wegovy 2.4 mg FlexTouch — Summary of Product Characteristics" (product 13803). medicines.org.uk
  2. electronic medicines compendium. "Mounjaro KwikPen — Summary of Product Characteristics" (product 15481). medicines.org.uk
  3. MHRA / GOV.UK. "MHRA authorises diabetes drug Mounjaro (tirzepatide) for weight management and weight loss" (8 November 2023). gov.uk
  4. Jastreboff AM et al. "Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity" (SURMOUNT-1). New England Journal of Medicine, 2022. nejm.org
  5. NICE. "Tirzepatide for managing overweight and obesity" (TA1026). nice.org.uk
  6. NHS England. "Interim commissioning guidance: NICE TA1026 (tirzepatide)." england.nhs.uk
  7. MHRA / GOV.UK. "First GLP-1 tablet for weight loss approved in the UK" (oral semaglutide, 11 June 2026). gov.uk
  8. Novo Nordisk. "Wegovy (oral semaglutide 25 mg) approval" — company announcement. novonordisk.com
  9. MHRA / GOV.UK. "Single-dose 7.2 mg semaglutide (Wegovy) pen approved to treat adult patients with obesity" (14 April 2026). gov.uk
  10. Wilding JPH et al. "Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity" (STEP 1). New England Journal of Medicine, 2021. nejm.org
  11. NICE. "Semaglutide for managing overweight and obesity" (TA875) — Recommendations. nice.org.uk
  12. Eli Lilly and Company. "FDA approves Lilly's Foundayo™ (orforglipron), the only GLP-1 pill for weight loss." Investor news release, April 2026. investor.lilly.com
  13. US Food and Drug Administration. Approval letter, NDA 220934 (Foundayo / orforglipron), 2026. accessdata.fda.gov
  14. Eli Lilly and Company. "Foundayo dosage information for healthcare professionals." foundayo.lilly.com/hcp/dosage
  15. Eli Lilly and Company. "How to take Foundayo." foundayo.lilly.com/how-to-take
  16. "Orforglipron, an Oral Small-Molecule GLP-1 Receptor Agonist, in Adults with Obesity" (ATTAIN-1). New England Journal of Medicine. nejm.org
  17. US Food and Drug Administration. "Mounjaro (tirzepatide) — US Prescribing Information" (NDA 215866, boxed warning). accessdata.fda.gov
  18. electronic medicines compendium. "Saxenda 6 mg/mL — Summary of Product Characteristics" (product 2313). medicines.org.uk
  19. MHRA / GOV.UK. "MHRA updates guidance for semaglutide prescribers and patients" (Ozempic off-label for weight loss). gov.uk
  20. MHRA. "Yellow Card scheme — report a side effect." yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk
  21. MHRA / GOV.UK. "FakeMeds — buying medicines safely online." fakemeds.campaign.gov.uk