Maggie Linton had never liked injections, so when she heard that Eli Lilly was working on a GLP-1 pill, she was eager to sign up for a clinical trial and put the new drug to the test.
Linton took a daily pill called Foundive for nearly two years and said she lost about 60 pounds.
“It’s very easy to use,” she told NBC News’ Annie Thompson in a segment that aired today, April 2.
The Food and Drug Administration approved Foundayo on April 1. It is scheduled to hit the market next week. This follows FDA approval of Novo Nordisk’s Vigovi GLP-1 pill in December.
Lynton, 77, told Thompson that she started losing weight after taking Foundio for about a month. She also said it helped improve her high blood pressure and cholesterol.
“It made a huge difference almost immediately,” she said. “I could see my weight, as well as cholesterol and everything else, going down at the same time.”
For Linton, Fondue’s side effects were limited, she said.
“The only thing I experienced when I first started was some constipation. But I learned how to eat better, move a little more, and it kind of went away,” she said.
Linton started taking fondue when she weighed 234 pounds. She has regained about 10 pounds of the 60 she lost during the trial and now hangs between 185-187 pounds. She is 20 pounds away from her goal weight.
“I feel great,” she said.
These days, physical activity is a priority for Linton.
“I do tai chi, I walk and I do Pilates. The whole idea is to stay as active as possible,” she said.
Thanks to her weight loss, Linton said she is able to sleep better and has more energy. While taking the pill, she noticed that she “didn’t want to eat as much.”
“That’s one thing it really does — reduce your need to eat. I found myself eating smaller portions consistently,” she said.
Although he’s been off the pill for six months now, Linton said he still doesn’t eat as much as he used to.
“I go out for dinner, and because of the portion sizes, I almost always bring something home to eat the next day,” she said.
Linton noted that her “blood pressure and everything is down.”
“Even after being off it for about six months, I still feel great, still have a lot of energy, and now that spring is here, I’m going to run a lot more,” she said.
Asked if she would buy Fondue again, she said, “Without a doubt.”
Find out more about Foundayo
Dave Rex, chairman and CEO of Eli Lilly, told Thompson that Foundio works by “activating the same pathway as injectable” versions of GLP-1 drugs.
However, research has shown that pills cause less weight loss than injections. People on the highest dose of Foundayo lost 12% of their body weight, an average of about 27 pounds, less than Lilly’s weight-loss injectable Zepbound.
Because pills are easier to inject than injections, Rex said Eli Lilly will be able to produce the foundry “on a larger scale.”
Oral pills can also help people who use injections lose weight, he added.
“Now the answer is … you can go to Foundio as a maintenance treatment. And we’re providing some great data showing that once people get to a healthy body weight, they can maintain it with Foundio.” he said.
Fondue is available in six doses and can be taken at any time of the day without food restrictions – unlike Vigovi pills, which require an empty stomach and no food or drink for 30 minutes afterwards.
“Other options on the market have very specific ways you have to eat, like on an empty stomach and with four ounces of water,” Dr. Shawna Levy, medical director of the Tulane Weight Loss Center, told Thompson.
“Foundayo can be taken anytime with any liquid, other medications, and other foods. And I think the ease of use is probably the most important aspect of it.”
“The biggest frustrating factor for them is how hard it is to take,” said Levy, who currently has patients taking Vigoi pills.
The lowest dose of Foundayo will cost about $149 a month for anyone paying out of pocket, similar to the cost of the Vigoi pill. Foundayo’s higher doses can cost up to $349 per month.
Although it’s still prohibitively expensive for most people, Levy said the Foundio is “another tool in our toolbox.”
“There are different patients who need different drugs at different times for different stages of their disease. And so having more options allows us to treat more people,” she said.
Consult a healthcare provider to determine if a GLP-1 weight loss medication is right for you.
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