How It Works
Interested in connecting with Dr. DiMassa to talk about Foundayo, weight loss or other issues?
Here’s what you need to know.
We will arrange (through the PUSH portal) to connect.
Obviously, the easiest way is texting - but sometimes we need to get on the phone and have a conversation or even a video call. Depending on what you need, I am available to help with all three. Messages can easily be sent over the confidential platform. Pictures can be shared. Questions can be answered.
Step 1Sign up online to speak with me (Dr. DiMassa) via my PUSH page.
Once you sign up for PUSH Health, we are linked together as patient and provider. So whatever questions you may have in the future, I will be available to you. It is like having a concierge doctor for a much lower price.
Step 2We can stay in touch as you need for follow up or any additional issues.
Any time you messages on Push Health platform, we will get the message. My team is available every day of the week to help with all aspects of your care.
Step 3Your prescription is generated.
Either you can request a prescription or I can write one for you. If you request the prescription, as soon as I accept it, it will go to the pharmacy. If I wrote for the prescription, as soon as you accept it, it will go to the pharmacy.
In case there's an issue with your pharmacy—for example, if it is closed or they don't have the medicine—I can switch pharmacies up to two times.
Step 4Foundayo (with the generic name of orforglipron) is a GLP receptor agonist that was approved in March of 2026 for chronic weight management.
It is approved for patients with BMIs over 30 or with BMIs over 27 with weight related comorbidities. It must be used in combination with diet and exercise.
It is different from many of the medicines in a few ways. The most obvious difference is that it is a daily tablet to be taken by mouth rather than a weekly injection (like Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro and Zepbound). This is quite appealing to some patients who need chronic weight management but have fear of needles or are looking for an easier way to maintain their weight.
The other big difference is that this medicine is not a peptide. While it triggers the GLP receptors, it in itself is not a peptide or protein. This means that it is not degraded in the stomach.
The other big differentiator from the newly available oral Wegovy is that Foundayo does not need to be taken on an empty stomach. It can be taken any time of day.
Foundayo showed good results in the clinical trials, with average patients on the medications losing 11-12% of body weight, but it should be noted that those patients had a BMI of 30 or greater to start. And the patients in the placebo groups also lost about 1% of body weight.
Foundayo appears to work very well for patients who are looking to maintain their weight after losing weight on a traditional GLP or for patients who have smaller amounts of weight to lose.
What is Foundayo?
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Patients seem to tolerate Foundayo well, much better than the injectable medications. Of course, much depends on the starting dose.
Common side effects include: Nausea, diarrhea OR constipation, bloating, vomiting
Less common but important risks: gallbladder problems, pancreatitis, low blood sugar. Though no seen in the trials for Foundayo, depression and suicidal thoughts may be a rare risk in the other GLPs, so it is worth mentioning here.
You should not take the medicine if you or any first degree relatives (parents, siblings children) have a history of medullary thyroid cancer or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia. Though these are not seen in human trials, the animal models did seem to accelerate these tumors for rodents given GLPs.
If you are using birth control you should use a barrier method for the first two weeks of taking the medicine.
You will need to stop the medicine for at least two weeks before any procedure that requires sedation. Please speak to your doctor or anesthesiologist to determine when you should stop the meds
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Foundayo works in four different ways to help you lose weight
↑ Satiety (central appetite suppression)
↓ Gastric emptying → prolonged fullness
↑ Insulin secretion (glucose-dependent)
↓ Glucagon → improved glycemic control
Patients that took Foundayo for 18 months also saw improvements in their cholesterol levels, blood pressure and waist circumference.
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Typically patients increase the dose every four weeks for the first few months in order to get the most benefits from the medication. There are 6 steps up on the meds. If a patient is having great success at a particular dose or is starting to experience side effect, those are both reasons to stay at a specific dose for longer.
The available doses are as follows:
0.8 mg daily (starting dose)
2.5 mg daily
5.5 mg daily
9 mg daily
14.5 mg daily
17.2 mg daily (max)
The medicine was studied up to a max of 34mg daily, but that dose is not available yet from EliLilly.
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The best way to get the medicine currently is directly from Eli Lilly. Their pharmacy (LillyDirect) has the medicine and is able to ship to any address in the US. Some pharmacies are starting to carry it, but as of today supply lines can be a little variable.
The starting dose (one month) costs $149 out of pocket
The middle doses are $299-349 a month
The highest dose is $399 a month
There are very few insurances that have started to cover. If you would like to use your insurance, please contact your insurance to check coverage. If your insurance covers but requires a prior authorization we can help you do that for a $100 fee.
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On Foundayo, the average patient lost 11% of body weight over 18 months.
This is good, but modest compared to:
Semagltuide (Wegovy) where patients lost 10-15% of body weight at 18 months
Tirzepatide (Zepbound and Mounjaro) where patients lost 20% of body weight at 18 months.
If you are looking for the product that provides the maximum weight loss, Tirzepatide (Zepbound and Mounjaro) continues to offer the best option.
How Push Health Works
Through Push Health, patients can connect with independent, licensed doctors and medical providers through the Push Health software platform, which can be accessed through any mobile device or computer with Internet access.
Once registered, patients can use Push Health to request or receive help for minor medical services virtually and send secure messages to Dr. DiMassa. Approved prescriptions for medications are e-routed to the patient’s chosen pharmacy and lab orders are e-routed to Quest Diagnostics.
Once you are connected to Dr. DiMassa on Push Health, you can request care through your Push Health account, fill out the requested information and pay any applicable fees. Dr. DiMassa will be notified that there is a pending request.
He will follow up with you through Push Health if there are additional questions about your health history or medical needs. Please note that controlled medications cannot be prescribed through Push Health and Push Health does not currently ship medications to patients.