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September 2026

Foundayo vs Zepbound: Lilly's Pill and Shot, Priced by Month and by Year

Foundayo and Zepbound compared for a self-pay buyer: Lilly's price at each dose step, why a 30-day month and a 28-day month change the yearly bill, what each drug's own placebo trial found, and how commercial cards and Medicare's Bridge treat each.

ByDerek MossPricing analystPublished

Foundayo tops out at $299 a month. Zepbound tops out at $449. Both prices are Lilly’s own, on LillyDirect[3][4]. Both need an on-time refill to hold[3][4]. The gap is $150 a month at the top. Novo Nordisk’s weight-loss tablet is priced in Wegovy pill cost.

Pill against shot

Foundayo is orforglipron, a once-daily tablet[1]. It can be taken with or without food[1]. Zepbound is tirzepatide, a once-weekly injection[2]. Both are approved for weight loss in adults with obesity, or overweight with a related condition[1][2]. Zepbound adds moderate to severe sleep apnea in adults with obesity[2].

Price by dose step

LillyDirect self-pay month by dose step, read September 2026
StepFoundayo (30 days)Zepbound vial or KwikPen (28 days)
Step 10.8 mg: $1492.5 mg: $299
Step 22.5 mg: $149 (temporary)5 mg: $399
Step 35.5 mg: $199 (temporary)7.5 mg: $449 (on-time refill)
Step 49 mg: $29910 mg: $449 (on-time refill)
Step 514.5 mg: $299 (on-time refill)12.5 mg: $449 (on-time refill)
Step 617.2 mg: $299 (on-time refill)15 mg: $449 (on-time refill)
LillyDirect self-pay month by dose step, read September 2026. Temporary prices run through December 31, 2026. "On-time refill" prices need a refill within 45 days (Foundayo) or 45 days (Zepbound).

Foundayo steps up every 30 days or more, from 0.8 mg to as high as 17.2 mg[1]. Zepbound steps up by 2.5 mg every four weeks or more, to 15 mg[2]. Zepbound’s label says 2.5 mg is not a maintenance dose[2].

Miss the refill window and the higher prices rise. Lilly says regular prices apply to Foundayo’s top two doses, but does not print them[3]. For Zepbound, a late refill at 15 mg costs $699[4].

The yearly bill

The months are not the same length. Lilly defines a Foundayo month as 30 days[3]. A Zepbound month is 28 days[4].

A year at the top dose, maker's self-pay price
ProductFills in 365 daysPrice per fillYear
Foundayo 17.2 mg12$299$3,588
Zepbound 15 mg13$449$5,837
A year at the top dose, maker's self-pay price. Arithmetic on LillyDirect's prices: 365 days divided by each month's length, rounded to whole fills.

That is $2,249 a year between them at the top dose. Both assume every refill lands on time. Dose by dose detail sits in orforglipron price and Zepbound price.

What the trials show, separately

ATTAIN-1 gave orforglipron or placebo to 3,127 adults with obesity and no diabetes[5]. At its top dose, called 36 mg in the trial, weight fell 11.2% at 72 weeks[5]. Placebo lost 2.1%[5]. The Foundayo label reports this trial at its own tablet strengths[1].

SURMOUNT-1 gave tirzepatide or placebo to 2,539 adults with obesity or overweight, without diabetes[6]. At 15 mg, weight fell 20.9% at 72 weeks[6]. Placebo lost 3.1%[6].

Insurance and Medicare

With commercial coverage for Foundayo, Lilly says you could pay as little as $25 a month[3]. Zepbound’s card floors at $25 with coverage[7]. Government plans are excluded from both[3][7].

Medicare’s GLP-1 Bridge charges $50 a month from July 1, 2026[8]. It covers Foundayo[8]. For Zepbound, it covers the KwikPen only, not the vials or single-dose pens[8]. The rest of the rules are in does Medicare cover Zepbound.

Both drugs also appear on TrumpRx, which routes each to LillyDirect; see TrumpRx. Compounded tirzepatide is priced on the tirzepatide price board.

FAQ

4 questions

Is Foundayo cheaper than Zepbound?

Self-pay from Lilly, yes at the top doses: Foundayo is $299 for a 30-day bottle and Zepbound $449 for a 28-day supply, each with an on-time refill. Over a year that is $3,588 against $5,837.

Does Foundayo work as well as Zepbound?

No trial has compared them directly. In its own 72-week placebo trial, orforglipron's top dose cut weight by 11.2% against 2.1% on placebo; in a separate 72-week trial, tirzepatide 15 mg cut weight by 20.9% against 3.1%. Different volunteers make those figures unsuitable for a direct comparison.

Does Medicare cover Foundayo or Zepbound?

Medicare's GLP-1 Bridge charges $50 a month for Foundayo and for the Zepbound KwikPen, for enrollees who meet its criteria. Zepbound vials and single-dose pens are not covered by it.

Is Foundayo a pill version of Zepbound?

No. Foundayo is orforglipron, a different molecule taken once a day by mouth. Zepbound is tirzepatide, injected once a week. Lilly makes both.

Sources

8 cited
  1. [1]Eli Lilly and Company (2026). FOUNDAYO (orforglipron) tablets, for oral use: Prescribing Information DailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Source
  2. [2]Eli Lilly and Company (2026). ZEPBOUND (tirzepatide) injection, for subcutaneous use: Prescribing Information DailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Source
  3. [3]Eli Lilly and Company (2026). Foundayo (orforglipron) self-pay prices LillyDirect. lilly.com/lillydirect/foundayo
  4. [4]Eli Lilly and Company (2026). Zepbound (tirzepatide): KwikPen, single-dose vial and single-dose pen self-pay prices LillyDirect. lilly.com/lillydirect/zepbound
  5. [5]Wharton S, Aronne LJ, Stefanski A, et al. (2025). Orforglipron, an Oral Small-Molecule GLP-1 Receptor Agonist for Obesity Treatment New England Journal of Medicine. PMID 40960239
  6. [6]Jastreboff AM, Aronne LJ, Ahmad NN, et al. (2022). Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity New England Journal of Medicine. PMID 35658024
  7. [7]Eli Lilly and Company (2026). Zepbound Savings and Insurance Options, with Terms and Conditions for the Savings Card Programs zepbound.lilly.com. zepbound.lilly.com/savings
  8. [8]Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (2026). Medicare GLP-1 Bridge: GLP-1 Drugs for $50 a Month (CMS Product No. 12234) Medicare.gov. Source

Where to buy Foundayo

Lowest oral Foundayo prices
  1. 1Walgreens Weight ManagementPriced, not reviewed$149/moGet price →
  2. 2GoodRxPriced, not reviewed$188/moGet price →
  3. 3PreventiveMDOur review$198/moGet price →

Each seller’s own monthly figure for Foundayo, read from its page; some include a required membership or visit fee. The maker’s self-pay price is $149–$299 a bottle. Source [3]