A daily weight-loss pill made by the drug firm behind the Mounjaro jab has been approved for use in the UK – the first country in Europe to do so.
Foundayo, made by Eli Lilly, is for treating obesity and type 2 diabetes.
But while people will be able to buy it privately with a prescription, the approval by the Medicines and Healthcare productors Regulatory Agency does not automatically mean it will be made available on the NHS.
Foundayo is a form of GLP-1 medication that blunts appetite, and comes after the MHRA approved a pill version of a similar weight-loss drug, Wegovy, in June.
Eli Lilly said while it could immediately be used by the NHS for type 2 diabetes, it would be making an application to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in England for it to be recommended as a weight loss treatment as well.
Dr Simon Cork, from Anglia Ruskin University, said while the weight-loss benefits of Foundayo were less than other treatments, patients could still expect to see “significant, clinically meaningful changes to their weight”.
And he said a key advantage was that it was likely to be cheaper than other weight-loss treatments, which have tended to be tightly restricted by the NHS.
University of Glasgow expert Prof Naveed Sattar agreed it was “good news”.
He said another benefit was its convenience, pointing out that unlike the Wegovy pill, which has to be taken on an empty stomach, this pill could be taken at any time of the day.
“The arrival of another effective oral option is a positive development and should help more people access treatment that best suits their needs and preferences,” he added.
Experts belive it could help people coming off weight-loss jabs remain slim.
Trials found that patients given the tablet, called orforglipron, every day for a year avoided regaining much of the weight they had lost – a known risk when coming off GLP-1 injections.
People on weight loss medication are also advised to eat a healthy diet and get enough exercise.
And, like any medication, there can be side effects to using Foundayo, including nausea, diarrhoea, constipation and vomiting.