On 15 October 2026, a committee of the European Medicines Agency recommended approving a new medicine called Foundayo. It’s a tablet for weight management and type 2 diabetes, and it could change how many people treat both conditions.
What is Foundayo?
Foundayo is made by Eli Lilly, a major American drugmaker. It works by copying a natural hormone that tells your brain you’re full and helps control blood sugar. The same idea is behind the famous weight-loss injections, but this one comes as a pill.
The big difference is the format. Foundayo is a film-coated tablet, not an injection, and it will come in six strengths, from 0.8 mg to 17.2 mg.
Who is it for?
The recommendation covers two groups of adults:
- People with obesity (BMI of 30 or more), or overweight (BMI 27 to under 30) with at least one related health problem, such as prediabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnoea or heart disease.
- People with type 2 diabetes whose blood sugar isn’t well controlled. They could take it alone if metformin isn’t suitable, or alongside other diabetes medicines.
In both cases, it’s meant to work together with a healthy diet and physical activity, not replace them.
What about side effects?
The most common ones are digestive: nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Is it available yet?
Not quite. This was a recommendation from the EMA’s human medicines committee (CHMP). The European Commission still has to formally grant the marketing authorisation. After that, detailed usage guidance will be published in all official EU languages. So it is not yet here, but soon: the European Commission usually gives its final approval within about two months, so
the green light could come around the end of 2026, though when it reaches pharmacies will depend on each country.
Why does it matter?
Because this is where the real money in the “healthy longevity” world is today. Lilly’s diabetes and weight-loss injection Mounjaro earned $9.94 billion in the second quarter of 2026 alone, up 91% on the year before. Its sister product Zepbound added another $4.93 billion.
A pill could, in principle, be more convenient for people who don’t like injections. Whether that turns into real-world success is something only time will show.
One more point:
none of these drugs is approved for “ageing”.
It matters beyond diabetes and weight loss too: no regulator approves a drug for “ageing” itself, so the biggest money in the longevity world today comes from treating the illnesses that come with age, not from slowing age itself.
So, to be clear: regulators approve medicines for specific diseases with measurable results, such as obesity or diabetes. That’s why
the biggest commercial success of the longevity era has come from treating the illnesses that often accompany ageing, not from slowing ageing itself.
This article is general information, not medical or investment advice. If you’re wondering whether a treatment is right for you, talk to your doctor.
Original source:
https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/foundayo
Transparency Note: This article was prepared with the assistance of artificial intelligence technologies. Every piece is thoroughly reviewed and verified by our editorial team, who retain full responsibility for the final content.
Picture: Gemini AI