GLP-1 Pills vs Shots: What the Wegovy and Foundayo Labels Say

Short answer: GLP-1 medicines now come as shots and as pills. The Wegovy® label covers both an injection and a tablet, and the Foundayo® (orforglipron) label covers a once-daily tablet. The labels differ on how each is taken, on who each is indicated for, and in the side effects reported. This page summarizes what the labels say so you can ask your prescriber better questions. It does not compare how well they work.

Which GLP-1 medicines come as pills?

Two labels on DailyMed, as of October 30, 2026:

• Wegovy (semaglutide) tablets: the same label also covers Wegovy injection.
• Foundayo (orforglipron) tablets: the label says “FOUNDAYO is a GLP-1 receptor agonist that binds to and activates the human GLP-1 receptor.”

For what a GLP-1 medicine is in general, see What is a GLP-1?.

How is a GLP-1 pill taken compared with a shot?

	Wegovy tablets	Foundayo tablets	Wegovy injection
Schedule on the label	Once daily	Once daily	MedlinePlus: injected once a week
Food and drink	“On an empty stomach in the morning with water (up to 4 ounces)”; no other liquids; wait at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking other beverages or taking other oral medications	“With or without food”	Not applicable
Swallowing	“Swallow tablets whole. Do not split, crush, chew or dissolve in any solution.”	“Swallow tablets whole. Do not break, crush, or chew.”	Not applicable
Where it goes	By mouth	By mouth	Under the skin of the abdomen, thigh or upper arm

Quotes are from Section 2 of each label. The Foundayo label also says not to take more than one tablet per day. The label’s strengths, starting amounts and how they change over time are for your prescriber to set, and are not covered here. For the injection, see GLP-1 injection sites.

What are they indicated for?

All three are indicated alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.

• Wegovy tablets: to reduce major adverse cardiovascular events in certain adults with established cardiovascular disease and obesity or overweight, and to reduce excess body weight in adults with obesity (or overweight plus a weight-related condition). The tablet label has no indication for MASH (a liver condition), and the injection label’s use in pediatric patients 12 and older does not apply to the tablet.
• Foundayo: “to reduce excess body weight” and “maintain weight reduction long term” in adults with obesity or adults with overweight.
• Wegovy injection: the same uses as the tablet, plus certain pediatric patients 12 and older with obesity, and noncirrhotic MASH with moderate to advanced liver fibrosis in adults.

What side effects does each label report?

The Wegovy tablet label says the types and frequency of common adverse reactions were similar to those listed for the injection. The injection figures (nausea 44%, diarrhea 30%, vomiting 24%, constipation 24% vs lower numbers on placebo) are in GLP-1 side effects. The tablet label also reports that 6.9% of tablet-treated patients permanently stopped because of adverse reactions, vs 5.9% on placebo, and that dysesthesia (an abnormal skin sensation) was reported by 5% of tablet-treated patients and none on placebo.

The Foundayo label’s pooled trial table lists these reactions across the strengths studied. At the highest strength nausea was 35% vs 10% on placebo, constipation 24% vs 9%, diarrhea 25% vs 11%, vomiting 24% vs 4%, and hair loss 5% vs 2%. The Foundayo label opens with a boxed warning about the risk of thyroid C-cell tumors, as the injections do, and states it is contraindicated in people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC).

These come from different trials with different designs, so the numbers should not be compared head to head.

Can you take a pill and a shot together?

The Zepbound® label says using it with other tirzepatide products or any GLP-1 receptor agonist is not recommended. Do not combine GLP-1 medicines unless your prescriber tells you to.

How can you keep track?

Whether it is a daily pill or a weekly shot, a simple log of what you took and how you felt helps at appointments. Weeko, a shot tracker coming to iPhone and Android, is being built around that idea. It is a logbook, not medical guidance.

When to call your doctor

Ask your prescriber which form fits your situation, how to take it, and what to do if you miss one. Call immediately or get emergency medical treatment for serious symptoms such as a lump or swelling in the neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing or breathing, or ongoing pain that begins in the upper left or middle of the stomach and may spread to the back.