Eli Lilly is launching its weight-loss pill in the U.K. as Europe's first oral option

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Foundayo is available through private prescription while England's cost-effectiveness watchdog assesses it for NHS coverage

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Eli Lilly $LLY launched its oral weight-loss pill Foundayo in the United Kingdom on Monday, making Britain the first country in Europe to offer the treatment to patients.

The once-daily tablet, known chemically as orforglipron, can be obtained through private prescription for now; Lilly said it is engaging with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence as that body works through its evaluation of the drug's suitability for England's National Health Service. Foundayo will be priced between £100 and £120 per month — lower than Lilly's injectable Mounjaro, which costs £330 per month through private providers, according to RTÉ.

Adults qualify for the pill if their body mass index reaches 30 or higher, or if it falls in the 27-to-30 range provided they have at least one weight-related health condition. It is also authorized to improve blood sugar control in patients with insufficiently controlled type 2 diabetes, the MHRA said. Treatment begins at a dose of 0.8 mg and escalates through several levels up to 17.2 mg, with patients spending a minimum of one month at each dose.

The MHRA authorized the drug on August 10. "Following rigorous assessment of orforglipron's safety, quality, and effectiveness, we are pleased to be the first regulator in Europe to authorise this tablet for weight management and type 2 diabetes," Julian Beach, MHRA Executive Director of Healthcare Quality and Access, said in a statement.

Foundayo arrives in Europe as Lilly competes with Danish rival Novo Nordisk in the market for oral weight-loss treatments. When the MHRA authorized Foundayo earlier this month, Britain had already cleared Novo's Wegovy pill, which became available in the U.K. in July. According to The Wall Street Journal, Novo Nordisk disclosed in early August that approximately 300,000 people in the country had started taking that pill. Foundayo differs from the Wegovy pill in that it can be taken at any time of day with no food or water restrictions. The European Union has yet to complete its assessment of Foundayo, according to RTÉ.

Lilly reported its first quarterly revenue figures for Foundayo in its second-quarter earnings earlier this month, with the pill bringing in $98 million for the April-to-June period after its U.S. debut in April. The company's total revenue for the quarter reached $23.0 billion, a 48% increase from a year earlier.

The most common side effects associated with Foundayo include nausea, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, indigestion, and abdominal pain, the MHRA said. As a prescription-only medicine, it can be obtained only from a registered pharmacy with a doctor's prescription.

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