Orforglipron Dosage: The Foundayo Escalation Chart
Last updated October 27, 2026 · Reviewed by Grey Peptides Editorial Board · ✓ Based on FDA labeling · No products sold
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Orforglipron is an FDA-approved prescription medicine, sold as Foundayo since April 1, 2026, for long-term weight management. It is an oral GLP-1 receptor agonist and a small molecule, not a peptide.
The label starts at 0.8 mg once daily, then 2.5 mg, then 5.5 mg, each step after at least 30 days. From there the dose may rise to 9, 14.5 or 17.2 mg on response and tolerability. 17.2 mg is the maximum.
The trials used capsules of 3 to 36 mg. Those numbers are not tablet doses: the 36 mg capsule corresponds to the 17.2 mg tablet.
Educational information, not medical advice. The doses on this page come from approved labels, published studies and, where no study exists, amounts reported by users. None is a recommendation for you. An unapproved compound has no established safe or effective human dose, and products sold for “research use only” are not made or tested for people. Talk to a doctor before acting on anything on this site, including before you start, stop or change any medicine or dose. Full medical disclaimer.
The dosage chart
Manufacturer's recommended dosing (FDA label)
From the prescribing information. Other doses studied, if any, are in the full dosing data below.
| Use | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Route |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundayo label Approved labelFoundayo (orforglipron) tablets US prescribing information (DailyMed version 10, effective July 29, 2026) | 0.8 mg, then 2.5 mg, then 5.5 mg | Once daily | At least 30 days per step | Oral |
| Foundayo label, optional steps Approved labelFoundayo (orforglipron) tablets US prescribing information (DailyMed version 10, effective July 29, 2026) | 9, 14.5 or 17.2 mg (maximum) | Once daily | At least 30 days per step | Oral |
Used in human trials
No manufacturer dose exists for this use: these are amounts given in published trials, not recommendations.
| Use | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Route |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 3 trials (2025), capsules, not tablet doses Human studyPMID 40544435; PMID 40960239 | 3, 6, 12 or 36 mg | Once daily | 40 to 72 weeks | Oral |
The label's steps, in order: 0.8 mg, then 2.5 mg, then 5.5 mg, each held for at least 30 days. After 5.5 mg, the dose may be increased to the next level (9 mg, 14.5 mg or 17.2 mg once daily), again after at least 30 days on the current dose, based on treatment response and tolerability. The label names no single maintenance dose; the dose that is continued is the one the prescriber settles on within that range.
The slow start exists to reduce gastrointestinal side effects, which the label ties to dose escalation.
Why the trial doses look different
The phase 3 trials gave orforglipron as capsules of 3, 6, 12 or 36 mg. Foundayo is a tablet. A 429-person study showed each tablet strength is bioequivalent to a capsule, so the 36 mg trial dose corresponds to the 17.2 mg tablet. Reading a trial dose as a tablet dose would double it or more. The trial rows above keep their papers so the figures can be checked.
How to take it
- Once a day, with or without food.
- Swallow tablets whole; do not break, crush or chew them.
- One tablet a day at most. The label says not to take more than one tablet per day, so a dose is never built from two tablets.
- Other medicines: with a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor the maximum is 9 mg once daily, and strong CYP3A4 inhibitors that also inhibit OATP1B are avoided. Strong CYP3A4 inducers are avoided; with a moderate inducer the prescriber watches whether it still works and may escalate. The interaction checker lists the pairs the site has reviewed.
Missed doses
Per the label, take a missed dose as soon as possible and do not double up the next one. If 7 or more doses in a row are missed, the escalation is restarted at a lower dose to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal side effects.
Side effects and safety, briefly
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation are most common, mostly while the dose is rising; about 5% to 10% stopped for adverse events in the obesity trials. The label warns about acute pancreatitis, severe gastrointestinal reactions, kidney injury from dehydration, low blood sugar with insulin or sulfonylureas, and serious allergic reactions. It is not used with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN 2. More is in the orforglipron entry.
Frequently asked questions
What is the maintenance dose of Foundayo?
The label names no single maintenance dose. After 0.8, 2.5 and 5.5 mg, the dose may rise to 9, 14.5 or 17.2 mg once daily on response and tolerability, each step after at least 30 days; 17.2 mg is the maximum.
What is the highest dose of orforglipron?
17.2 mg once daily. With a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor the label caps it at 9 mg.
Is 36 mg of orforglipron a real dose?
Only as a trial capsule. The 36 mg capsule used in the trials corresponds to the 17.2 mg Foundayo tablet.
Does Foundayo have to be taken on an empty stomach?
No. The label says once daily with or without food, swallowed whole, one tablet a day.
Sources
- FOUNDAYO (orforglipron) tablets US prescribing information, section 2 (DailyMed version 10, effective July 29, 2026; read October 27, 2026).
- "Orforglipron, an Oral Small-Molecule GLP-1 Receptor Agonist, in Early Type 2 Diabetes" (2025, PMID 40544435)
- "Orforglipron, an Oral Small-Molecule GLP-1 Receptor Agonist for Obesity Treatment" (2025, PMID 40960239)
Educational only, not medical advice. Orforglipron is a prescription medicine; the dose is set and adjusted by a licensed clinician. Refer to the current FDA prescribing information.