MedPal AI - second GLP-1 pill approval in two months feeds New Health
Earlier this week our client MedPal AI (AIM: MPAL), the AI-native digital health and pharmacy group, flagged news that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) authorised orforglipron, otherwise known under the brand name Foundayo, on 10th August 2026.
Foundayo is pharma giant Eli Lilly's once daily oral GLP-1 tablet, with the UK becoming the first country in Europe to give it the green light. Eli Lilly has indicated that Foundayo is expected to launch in the UK later this month via private prescription, but pricing has not yet been announced.
Alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, orforglipron is authorised for weight loss and weight maintenance in adults in the UK with a BMI of 30 or above, or a BMI of between 27 and 30, and at least one weight-related comorbidity. It is also authorised to improve glycaemic control for patients with insufficiently controlled type 2 diabetes.
Orforglipron is a GLP-1 receptor agonist. It works by mimicking the action of a naturally occurring hormone, glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1), which is released by the body after eating. Orforglipron acts on areas of the brain that regulate appetite, helping people feel fuller for longer, reducing hunger and decreasing food cravings. Orforglipron follows the MHRA's approval of Novo Nordisk's oral semaglutide tablet, the Wegovy® pill, in June 2026, which was then launched in the UK on 6th July.
As with all GLP-1 receptor agonists, Foundayo is a prescription-only medication and it is not yet available on the NHS, only privately via companies like MedPal. As with all new treatments, decisions on NHS use will follow established processes, including an evaluation by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
MedPal AI share price in 2026
Weight loss is an area upon which MedPal has been focussed recently, launching its dedicated brand and website New Health in May. This is to take advantage of high forecast growth, with analysts at Grand View Research suggesting that the UK prescription weight-loss medications market will grow at a CAGR of 24.85% up to 2033.
Notably, MedPal has direct supply agreements with both Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk for the currently approved GLP-1 medicines, being an authorised purchaser of both companies’ products. As recently announced, New Health generated over £180,000 of private prescription revenue in July 2026 from only three weeks of marketing, making for an annualised run rate of over £2.2 million.
As we have previously highlighted, the pill form of GLP-1s is expanding the addressable market, attracting patients who are put off by the injectable form of the drugs. More than 80% of new prescriptions for the Wegovy® pill in the US were for patients new to GLP-1 therapy, bringing further first-time patients into the category that New Health was built to serve.
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MedPal AI is a corporate client of Optimo Research Ltd.
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