Foundayo Dosage Schedule, Missed Doses and How to Take It

Foundayo (orforglipron) starts at 0.8 mg daily, increasing to 2.5 mg after at least 30 days and 5.5 mg after at least 30 more (section 2.1). Successive steps to 9, 14.5 and 17.2 mg each require at least 30 days and depend on treatment response and tolerability, reaching 17.2 mg on day 151 at the earliest (section 2.1). Take one whole tablet daily with or without food; take a missed tablet as soon as possible without doubling up (section 2.3).

Key facts

• On the earliest schedule, oral-contraceptive backup runs from day 1 to day 180 if you reach 17.2 mg, or through day 90 if you stop at 5.5 mg (US sections 2.1 and 7.3).
• The UK SmPC says to stop Foundayo at least 3 weeks before a planned pregnancy (UK SmPC, section 4.6).
• Orforglipron has a half-life of approximately 29 to 49 hours, so a missed tablet does not immediately empty your system (US prescribing information, section 12.3).
• If you use oral hormonal contraception, switch to a non-oral method or add a barrier method for 30 days after starting and after every increase (US prescribing information, section 7.3).
• A strong CYP3A4 inhibitor lowers the maximum Foundayo dose to 9 mg daily (US prescribing information, section 2.2).

What is the Foundayo dosage schedule?

The Foundayo dosage schedule starts at 0.8 mg daily and allows each increase only after at least 30 days on the current dose (US prescribing information, section 2.1).

This calendar assumes each step-up happens after the minimum 30 days; increases beyond 5.5 mg depend on treatment response and tolerability (US prescribing information, section 2.1). The last column applies if you take oral hormonal contraception and shows when to use a non-oral method or add a barrier method (section 7.3).

On those earliest dates the backup windows join up, running from day 1 to day 180 if you reach 17.2 mg, or day 1 to day 90 if you stop at 5.5 mg (US prescribing information, sections 2.1 and 7.3). If you increase later, count the 30 days from your actual step-up day (section 7.3).

For other medicines’ schedules, use the GLP‑1 dose chart.

When do you increase your Foundayo dose?

Foundayo requires the 0.8 mg and 2.5 mg starting steps, each lasting at least 30 days, before reaching 5.5 mg (US prescribing information, section 2.1). The label says following this escalation reduces the risk of gastrointestinal adverse reactions (US prescribing information, section 2.1).

After 5.5 mg, the next levels are 9 mg, 14.5 mg and 17.2 mg, each after at least 30 days according to response and tolerability (US prescribing information, section 2.1).

Trial 1 followed 3,127 adults for 72 weeks; the table shows mean weight change and the proportion losing at least 10% of body weight (US prescribing information, section 14).

The trials used investigational capsules, and the US label reports results as equivalent Foundayo tablet doses (US section 14; UK sections 5.1 and 5.2). The UK SmPC shows equal exposure for the 36 mg capsule and 17.2 mg tablet (sections 5.1 and 5.2). Capsules and tablets are not substitutable milligram for milligram (sections 5.1 and 5.2).

How do you take Foundayo?

Take Foundayo once daily, with or without food, and swallow the tablet whole without breaking, crushing or chewing it (US prescribing information, section 2.1).

The UK wording explicitly allows Foundayo at any time of day, without food or water restriction (UK SmPC, section 4.2). Unlike Foundayo, the Wegovy pill’s empty-stomach routine requires morning dosing with up to 4 ounces of water, then at least 30 minutes before food, drinks or other oral medicines (Wegovy prescribing information, section 2.1).

Each strength comes in a bottle of 30 tablets; at one tablet daily, that matches the minimum 30 days per step (US prescribing information, sections 2.1 and 16.1).

What if you miss a Foundayo dose?

For a missed Foundayo dose, the US label says to take it as soon as possible and not double the next dose (US prescribing information, section 2.3). Its Medication Guide explicitly says not to take 2 doses on the same day (US Medication Guide).

If you miss 7 or more consecutive doses, restart dose escalation at a lower dosage to reduce gastrointestinal adverse reactions (US prescribing information, section 2.3). The US label does not name the lower restart dose (section 2.3). Ask your prescriber which lower dose to restart on.

The UK SmPC says to resume dosing as soon as possible without taking more than one tablet per day (UK SmPC, section 4.2). It does not include the US rule for 7 or more missed doses (section 4.2).

Neither label sets a 12-hour missed-dose window or a 6-hour spacing rule (US prescribing information, section 2.3; UK SmPC, section 4.2). For missed weekly injections, use the separate missed dose guide.

How long does Foundayo stay in your system?

A five-half-life estimate suggests most Foundayo has cleared about 6 to 10 days after your last tablet, using the approximate 29 to 49-hour half-life (US prescribing information, section 12.3). This is a calculation, not a figure stated in the label.

Orforglipron reaches its maximum concentration 4 to 8 hours after a dose (US prescribing information, section 12.3). Steady-state exposure is reached after approximately 1 week of daily dosing (section 12.3).

With the same half-life, a one-compartment estimate puts the level at about 56% to 71% of the usual pre-dose level when the next tablet is due after one missed day, and the table extends it to longer gaps (US prescribing information, section 12.3).

These one-compartment estimates describe levels only; the label’s missed-dose rules determine what you take (US prescribing information, section 2.3). After 7 or more consecutive missed tablets, the US label restarts escalation lower to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal side effects (section 2.3).

For a comparison with weekly tirzepatide or semaglutide, the dosage plotter draws those medicines’ curves. The guide to reading a dose curve explains the shape.

Your daily tablet history and estimated levels stay together in Pensday, which lists Foundayo with its strengths so the dose steps come ready. The free tier logs each daily tablet with a daily dose reminder. Its estimated medication-level curve uses orforglipron’s label half-life, so a missed tablet shows as a dip in the curve.

For a comparison of logging features, use the GLP‑1 tracker app guide.

Does Foundayo affect birth control?

If you use oral hormonal contraception, the US Foundayo label says to switch to a non-oral method or add barrier protection for 30 days after starting and each step-up (section 7.3). Its effect on pill absorption has not been evaluated in a clinical trial (section 8.3). The UK SmPC says orforglipron “may reduce the efficacy of oral hormonal contraceptives” and gives the same 30-day precautions (section 4.5).

The calendar pairs each dose’s earliest start with its contraception window. Non-oral hormonal contraceptives should not be affected (US prescribing information, section 7.3). Both labels ask for effective contraception throughout treatment, including outside the 30-day windows (US section 8.3; UK section 4.6).

Zepbound (tirzepatide) uses 4-week contraception windows (Zepbound prescribing information, section 8.3), while semaglutide is not expected to reduce oral contraceptive effectiveness (Wegovy SmPC, section 4.5).

The US label says to stop Foundayo when pregnancy is recognized and gives no stopping interval before a planned pregnancy (section 8.1). Only the UK SmPC specifies an interval, at least 3 weeks before a planned pregnancy (section 4.6). Foundayo is not recommended for nursing women in the US and should not be used during breastfeeding in the UK (US section 8.2; UK section 4.6).

Which medicines lower the Foundayo maximum dose?

A strong CYP3A4 inhibitor lowers the Foundayo maximum to 9 mg daily in the US label (US prescribing information, sections 2.2 and 7.1).

Strong CYP3A4 inhibitors that also inhibit OATP1B, such as ritonavir, should be avoided with Foundayo (US prescribing information, section 7.1).

Strong CYP3A4 inducers should also be avoided (US prescribing information, section 7.1). With moderate inducers, the US label calls for monitoring Foundayo’s effectiveness and escalating the dosage as needed (sections 2.2 and 7.1).

The UK additionally caps Foundayo at 9 mg with a clinical OATP1B inhibitor (UK SmPC, section 4.2). The US label sets no separate cap for an OATP1B inhibitor alone (US prescribing information, sections 2.2 and 7.1).

Ask a pharmacist to check your medicines against these limits before your next step-up.

How does the UK Foundayo label differ from the US label?

The UK Foundayo dose ladder matches the US schedule, with differences in missed-dose instructions and medicine-related dose caps (UK SmPC, section 4.2).

The table compares the US label and UK SmPC, with approval dates from the FDA record and MHRA announcement.

Both labels require the same 30-day contraception precautions after starting and after each increase (US prescribing information, section 7.3; UK SmPC, section 4.5).