The FDA just gave the green light to Eli Lilly’s new weight-loss pill called Foundayo, and it’s basically a game-changer for anyone who’s been hesitant about needles. Unlike Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill, which requires you to take it on an empty stomach every morning, Foundayo can be taken whenever you want without any food or water restrictions. That flexibility alone could be huge for people trying to manage their weight.

Foundayo is a GLP-1 medication, which is the same category as the buzzy Ozempic and Wegovy injections everyone’s been talking about. These drugs work by mimicking a hormone in your body that controls blood sugar, slows down digestion, and tells your brain you’re full. Basically, they help you feel satisfied with less food.

Here’s where it gets interesting: in clinical trials, people taking the highest dose of Foundayo lost an average of 27 pounds over 18 months. That’s 12.4 percent of their body weight compared to just 2 pounds for people taking a placebo. While that’s not quite as impressive as Lilly’s injectable version, which shows over 20 percent weight loss, it’s still pretty solid, especially for a pill.

The catch? Like other GLP-1 drugs, Foundayo can come with some uncomfortable side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. That’s why the drug starts at a low dose and gets gradually increased to help your body adjust.

One thing that makes Foundayo stand out is that it addresses a real barrier to treatment that a lot of people don’t talk about. Ken Custer, an executive at Eli Lilly, pointed out that many patients just don’t want to take injections, not necessarily because they’re afraid of needles, but because an injection feels like an admission that their condition is serious. A pill feels less clinical and might be an easier entry point for people just starting their weight management journey.

Eli Lilly also tested what happens when people switch from injectable GLP-1 drugs to Foundayo. The results were pretty encouraging: people who switched from Wegovy injections to the pill only regained about 2 pounds on average.

Foundayo is now available through Eli Lilly’s direct-to-consumer platform LillyDirect, with shipping starting April 6. It’ll roll out to regular pharmacies and telehealth providers shortly after. The FDA approved Foundayo in just 50 days under a new pilot program designed to fast-track drugs that address major health priorities, a process that normally takes six to ten months.

So if you’ve been waiting for a GLP-1 option that doesn’t involve needles and fits more easily into your daily routine, this pill might be worth talking to your doctor about.