Foundayo (orforglipron) vs Phentermine (generic)
Foundayo (orforglipron) is the better choice of the two (halfrx score 7.5 against 3.1).
Computed from the stored fields, so it moves when a price does. Nothing here is written by hand or by a model.
Foundayo (orforglipron) or Phentermine (generic): which publishes a price?
Only one of these two publishes a verified all-in price, which settles the comparison before any other axis is reached: Foundayo (orforglipron) at $149–$349, and no figure at all for the other. Foundayo (orforglipron) is the better choice of the two (halfrx score 7.5 against 3.1). Every axis below is computed from stored fields rather than written by hand, so the comparison moves when a price does. Neither carries an FTC action, a state action, a BBB F grade or an FDA warning letter. One is brand and the other generic, which is the difference between an FDA-approved product and a copy made under the compounding exemption. The published formula scores them 7.5 and 3.1 out of 10, arithmetic over the same stored fields rather than an editor's preference.
Head to head
| What decides it | Foundayo $149–$349/mo | Phentermine price unverified |
|---|---|---|
| Entry priceNot comparable — Phentermine (generic) publishes no verified all-in price. | not comparable | not comparable |
| Regulatory and complaint riskNeither carries a lawsuit, state action or FDA-approval flag. | level | level |
| Brand vs compoundedFoundayo (orforglipron) supplies FDA-approved branded medication; Phentermine (generic) supplies compounded, which the FDA does not review for safety, efficacy or quality and which can stop shipping if its pharmacy is enjoined. | level | level |
Read the price gap carefully: these two are not the same purchase
- These are different molecules — Foundayo (orforglipron) on orforglipron, Phentermine (generic) on phentermine — so this is a comparison of two treatments, not of two prices for one.
Foundayo (orforglipron)
Pros
- +A daily pill with no injection, no needles and no refrigeration — unlike semaglutide pills it is a small molecule, so there are no food-and-water timing rules to follow.[3]
- +$149/mo at the entry dose through LillyDirect is the lowest price for any branded FDA-approved weight-loss drug.[4]
- +14.7% mean weight loss over 72 weeks in ATTAIN-1 beats oral semaglutide's 16.6% only on convenience, but far exceeds older oral options.[2]
- +Being a small molecule, it is manufactured chemically rather than biologically — supply scales in a way peptide injectables cannot.[3]
- +Commercially insured with coverage, Lilly's card can bring it to as little as $25 a month.[1]
Cons
- −Approved 1 April 2026, so real-world safety data outside trials is still thin compared with semaglutide's years of use.[2]
- −$649 list price if you have no coverage and do not use the LillyDirect self-pay channel.[4]
- −Weight loss trails tirzepatide injection, which reaches roughly 20%+ in its pivotal trials.[2]
- −Maintenance doses hold their $299 price only while you refill within 45 days; lapse and they are $349.[1]
Phentermine (generic)
Pros
- +The cheapest drug in the category by two orders of magnitude: $0.068 a tablet at pharmacy acquisition cost against $263 for one Zepbound pen.[2]
- +Covered by more Medicaid programmes than any GLP-1 — seven states cover an older weight-loss agent while covering no GLP-1 at all.[3]
- +One tablet each morning, no injection, no titration schedule beyond a possible half dose.[1]
Cons
- −Approved for a few weeks only. Every monthly subscription selling it as ongoing therapy is using it off the label's own duration.[1]
- −Schedule IV controlled substance, chemically related to the amphetamines, with the dependence warnings that follow from that.[1]
- −Stopping after prolonged high dosing brings extreme fatigue and depression, per the label — which is a hard exit from a subscription that sold it as maintenance.[1]
- −No cardiovascular outcome data of the kind the GLP-1s now carry, and contraindicated where blood pressure is uncontrolled.[1]
Comparisons are computed from the fields on each card, not written by hand or by a model, so they change when the data does. Information only, not medical advice. halfrx may earn a commission from some links, which never changes what a comparison says.