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New options
Needle-free
weight loss
Three oral treatments, one consultation. Your clinician works out which one fits.
Daily routine
No injections, no refrigeration
Backed by clinicians and health coaches
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Medication options
Not every treatment looks the same. Your clinician will recommend the right option based on your BMI, health history, and preferences, including whether you'd prefer a pill to an injection.
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What does the evidence show?
All three oral options have been studied in randomised controlled trials, and all three work in different ways.
Two are prescription treatments that act on the GLP-1 receptor, studied in phase 3 trials published in the New England Journal of Medicine.1,2 The third is a pharmacy medicine that reduces how much of the fat you eat is absorbed, studied over two years.3
Their results are not comparable. The trials enrolled different people, ran for different lengths of time, and measured different things. Averages also hide a lot. In every one of these trials, some people lost a great deal of weight and some lost very little.
This is why the more useful question isn't which number is biggest, but which treatment fits you. Your clinician looks at your BMI, your health history, what you have already tried, and how you would realistically take a medicine day to day.
New oral weight loss treatments
Know the difference
Three different oral treatments, same desired outcome. Here's what you need to know.
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Oral semaglutide (Wegovy Pill)
What it is: A prescription treatment containing semaglutide, the same molecule as the Wegovy injection, in tablet form. Semaglutide is a peptide, which means it needs help to survive stomach acid.2
How you take it: One tablet daily on an empty stomach with up to 120 ml of water, then wait at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking, or taking anything else by mouth.
Worth knowing: The timing is not optional. It is what allows the medicine to be absorbed at all.
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Orforglipron (Foundayo)
What it is: A prescription treatment containing orforglipron, a small molecule rather than a peptide, so it is not structurally derived from the GLP-1 hormone itself.1
How you take it: One tablet daily, at any time of day, with or without food. Nothing to measure and nothing to wait for.1
Worth knowing: A newer class of treatment. Being a small molecule is why it does not need the absorption workarounds a peptide does.
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Orlistat (Alli)
What it is: A pharmacy medicine containing orlistat, which reduces how much of the fat you eat is absorbed. It does not act on appetite and it is not a GLP-1.3
How you take it: One capsule with each main meal that contains fat, up to three times a day.
Worth knowing: The only one of the three available without a prescription. Because it works on fat absorption, the side effects are digestive and depend on what you eat.
What to expect
The journey, in four steps
Oral weight loss medications work over time. Here's how:
WEEKS 1-4
Building the habit
Low starting dose. Establishing your specific routine. Most people don't notice dramatic changes yet.
WEEKS 5-8
Settling in
Your routine settles into something you don't have to think about. Depending on your treatment, your dose may step up during this phase.
WEEKS 8-16
Consistent progress
Most patients see steady, measurable weight loss. Your dose may continue to step up or remain steady depending on your treatment.
WEEKS 16+
Full effect
Once you get to a dose that works, weight loss may continue.
Get the facts from the experts
Want to know more about oral weight loss medications? Our clinical team have put together a guide covering everything you need to know.
By submitting your email, you accept our privacy policy. You'll also receive exclusive updates on oral weight loss medications, including access opportunities through Numan.
Free clinical guide
What does the guide cover?
The guide gives you the facts from the clinicians who work with this every day, including how the medications work and a rundown on side effects and regain. Sign up for early access and receive the guide completely for free, direct to your inbox.
What are oral weight loss medications?
The pill-form alternative to weight loss injections, explained.
What the evidence shows
Real trial results: up to 16.6% body weight loss in 64 weeks depending on your treatment of choice.2
Special considerations
Some oral weight loss treatments require a particular routine to unlock the medication's full effect.
Week-by-week journey
From your first dose to month six and beyond.
Side effects
The common ones, the rare ones, and what actually helps.
Maintenance
The three habits that make your results stick.
FAQs
Your questions answered
Start with a short online consultation. Our clinicians review your answers and, if treatment is suitable, discuss which of the oral options fits you best. Alli is available without a prescription; the other two are prescription-only and depend on that clinical review.
It depends which one. Alli is a pharmacy medicine, so no prescription is needed. Foundayo and the Wegovy Pill are prescription-only, so a clinician has to assess whether either is right for you first.
Mostly gastrointestinal, like nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and constipation. A more detailed list of side effects and practical management strategies are covered in the guide.
Two act on the GLP-1 receptor but are built differently: one is a peptide that needs precise timing, the other a small molecule that doesn't. The third works on fat absorption instead and needs no prescription. The section above compares all three, and the guide goes further.
The Wegovy Pill and Wegovy injections are the same molecule, so switching is likely to be straightforward. For orforglipron and Alli the guidance may differ. Our guide covers what to discuss with your clinician.
KNOWLEDGE
Learn more about our weight loss treatments
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References
1. Based on the ATTAIN-1 phase 3 RCT (Wharton et al., 2025; DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2511774), conducted alongside a lifestyle intervention. Results represent estimated outcomes based on full adherence, in a clinical trial population; individual results will vary.
2. Based on the OASIS 4 phase 3 RCT (Wharton et al., 2025 - DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2500969), conducted alongside a lifestyle intervention. Results represent estimated outcomes based on full adherence, in a clinical trial population; individual results will vary.
3. Based on a randomised controlled trial (Rössner S, et al. 2000 - DOI: 10.1038/oby.2000.8), conducted alongside a lifestyle intervention. Individual results will vary.
Medically reviewed: