The Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) has approved the oral medication Foundayo for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, making the UAE the third country in the world to clear the drug for this use.

Foundayo, also known by its scientific name orforglipron, is a once-daily oral GLP-1 receptor agonist. Unlike most drugs in its class, which are administered by injection, Foundayo comes as a non-peptide tablet that requires no food or water restrictions around dosing. The medicine was already approved in the UAE for weight management back in April 2026. Foundayo helps adults with type 2 diabetes improve blood glucose control when combined with diet, exercise and medical supervision, while also supporting long-term weight management. The regulator described the approval as part of its effort "to expand access to innovative treatments and give patients more options" for managing chronic disease.

The EDE also urged UAE residents to familiarise themselves with diabetes risk factors, undergo regular screening and keep up with medical follow-ups, so that the condition can be caught and managed early and complications avoided.

For patients who until now had limited oral options for managing type 2 diabetes, the approval opens up a simpler once-daily alternative to the injectable treatments that have long dominated this drug class.