A brand new weight loss pill has been approved for use in the UK - eight weeks after the launch of the first jab alternative, the Wegovy tablet.

The new medication, called orforglipron, or Foundayo, has been given the green light by UK drug officials following trials showing it can help patients shed 12 per cent of their body weight in 16 months.

Those who take the Wegovy pill can lose 17 per cent of their body weight after just 14 months, according to trials.

For now, the new oral drug - a tablet version of the once-weekly slimming injection - will be available only through private providers, as opposed to the NHS.

It can only be accessed by patients with a body mass index (BMI) of more than 30 – classed as obese – or with a BMI of more than 27 and a weight-related health condition, as is the case with the Wegovy pill.

The launch of yet another option for slimmers will no doubt add to the desperate clamour for the blockbuster medications.

Private pharmacies have reported waiting lists totalling 100,000 as Britons scramble to get their hands on the faff-free medication.

But which pill is better, and how do you get your hands on them? Here's everything you need to know about these game-changing tablets.

The approval of the Wegovy Pill in Britain has triggered a desperate clamour among those looking to lose weight fast

Is the new pill better than the Wegovy one?

Orforglipron is a different active ingredient to the compound in the Wegovy pill - semaglutide.

However the drugs are both GLP-1 agonists; they work by mimicking the hormone GLP-1, which tells the brain that the gut is full.

Trials orforglipron, which is made by the same firm as Mounjaro, Eli Lilly, showed that the drug results in an average weight loss of just under two stone over 16 months, when taken at the highest dose.

In comparison, the Wegovy pill is said to result in roughly two and a half stone weight loss over 14 months.

Both medications cause the same types of side effects; nausea and stomach upsets, as well as vomiting.

However, as per trial data, orforglipron appears to cause slightly more patients to drop out of treatment due to side effects, compared to the Wegovy pill.

This is especially true for those taking the highest dose of the medication - 36mg.

How does the weight loss pills work?

Like the injections, the Wegovy and orforglipron pills contains compounds that 'trick' our gut into thinking it's full.

Both semaglutide and orforglipron reduce the body's appetite by mimicking a hormone in the gut which is released after eating.

In turn, this reduces hunger and makes patients feel fuller for longer - which is why patients tend to have reduced appetites and go on to lose weight.

Trial results show that participants taking the Wegovy pill lost around 17 per cent of their body weight, meaning it is slightly less effective than the jabs, which tend to trigger up to a 20.7 per cent reduction for the highest dose.

The starting dose for the Wegovy pill is 1.5mg, rising to 4mg, 9mg and the maximum of 25mg. Patients are required to remain on each dose for at least one month before increasing.

However, those already taking a 2.4mg injection of Wegovy are allowed to switch directly to the 25mg form of the tablet.

The pill is taken once a day and must be swallowed on an empty stomach with a small amount of water.

The orforglipron pill follows a similar dose escalation.

Patients in the studies started on 1 mg daily, before increasing every four weeks to a reach a 'maintenance dose' that is most effective.

Maintenance doses included 6mg, 12mg or 36mg, depending on the individual patient.

At least 1.6 million adults in the UK are thought to be using weight-loss jabs already, with a further 3.3 million considering taking them.

But polling by digital healthcare provider Numan found that around one in five people considering weight-loss medication are put off by a fear of needles.

Now that the simpler, oral tablet has been approved, experts believe demand for the pill will soar because it gives people the option not to self-inject.

Based on US prescribing trends, estimates suggest more than 120,000 UK adults could begin taking the pill privately within three months of its launch.

Dr Tsolmon Tsogbayar, senior clinical product lead at Numan, said: 'There are many people who have wanted support with their weight for years but have struggled with the idea of injectable treatment, in some cases avoiding healthcare settings involving needles altogether.

'The arrival of oral GLP-1 medication is hugely significant because it has the potential to make evidence-based obesity treatment accessible to a much wider group of patients who previously felt excluded from the current options available.'

Does it have any side effects?

Like all GLP-1 medications, both pills can cause side effects - though they are typically mild to moderate.

During the clinical trial that led the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to approve the Wegovy drug for use in the UK, around 74 per cent of users of the drug reported problems such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.

However, the symptoms were not exclusive to those taking the medication. In the placebo group - participants in the trial who did not receive the drug - 42 per cent also reported similar complaints.

On the official website for the drugs, a statement reads: 'The use of Wegovy has been associated with gastrointestinal (GI) side effects, which are sometimes severe.

'Wegovy is not recommended in patients with severe gastroparesis (which is a chronic condition where food passes through the stomach slower than it should).

'Nausea was the most frequently reported symptom. Nausea was generally transient. Most occurrences of nausea did not lead to permanent discontinuation of Wegovy.'

Orforglipron also causes 'generally mild to moderate' gastrointestinal side effects, according to Eli Lilly. A third of patients on the trial suffered nausea, while between a fifth and a quarter had bowel complaints - depending on the dose.

Vomiting occured in a quarter of patients on the highest dose, and 13 per cent of those on the lowest.

As with the injectable versions of Wegovy, more serious complications are rare but can occur.

These include gallbladder problems, inflammation of the pancreas, known as pancreatitis, and kidney complications.

Patients are advised to seek medical advice if they experience severe symptoms.

Like all GLP-1 medications, the Wegovy Pill can cause side effects - though they are typically mild to moderate

Where will it be available, when, and how much will it cost?

As neither orforglipron or the Wegovy Pill have been approved for NHS use, the drugs will only be available from private, licensed retailers for the time being.

When approached by the Daily Mail, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) - which decides whether medicines should be funded by the health service - claims Wegovy manufacturer Novo Nordisk has not yet made a submission to them.

However, it is understood that Novo Nordisk plans to meet with the UK Government in the future to discuss rolling out the Wegovy Pill on the NHS - with the price of the drug thought to be the sticking point.

Until then, patients eligible to be prescribed the drug will have to turn to licensed private providers.

These include well-known high street names such as Boots, Morrisons and Superdrug, as well as popular online healthcare providers such as Numan, Simple Online Healthcare, Juniper and Voy.

Superdrug and Boots have also revealed they expect to have stock of the Wegovy pill, although it is not yet clear if they will stock orforglipron.

Meanwhile, Simple Online Healthcare said its waiting list for the Wegovy pill has already exceeded 60,000 people.

The provider said prices will start from around £99 per month for the lowest dose of 1.5mg.

Abdal Alvi, chief clinical officer at Simple Online Pharmacy, told the Daily Mail: 'We expect pricing to start from £99, or £3 per day.'

In June, digital health provider Voy told the Mail it had seen 'tens of thousands' of sign-ups from people hoping to access the treatment.

The drug is available from Voy priced £79 per month for the lowest dose.

By comparison, private prescriptions for the injectable version of Wegovy typically cost between £90 and £300 a month, depending on the dose prescribed.

Dr Earim Chaudry, chief medical officer at Voy, told the Mail that Voy is also taking pre-orders for priority shipping of the pill.

He added: 'Demand has been significant: tens of thousands of people have already joined our waitlist ahead of launch, reflecting the scale of interest following the approval.

'We expect to begin delivering to eligible patients within weeks, with prices starting from £79.'

Other private firms stocking the Wegovy pill include Chemist4U and Juniper UK. It is not yet clear which companies will also be offering orforglipron.

The Mail update this article as further details on availability and pricing emerge.