Side by side
AICAR vs Orforglipron
Both are discussed for weight loss. What this site records about each, side by side. Every figure is on the compound's own page with the source it came from.
| AICAR | Orforglipron | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A nucleoside, not a peptide. About fifteen hundred people have been given it intravenously in a heart surgery trial, where it did nothing. Banned in sport since 2009 on the strength of a mouse study. | The first GLP-1 pill that is a true small molecule. Approved in April 2026, and taken any time of day with no food or water restrictions. |
| EvidenceHow much human evidence exists, not how well it works. | Early human trials | Approved |
| Regulatory statusReviewed 2026-09-01 | Not approved for any indication. Developed as acadesine and abandoned after a phase 3 trial was stopped for futility. Prohibited in sport at all times by WADA as an AMPK activator, and detectable. Material sold as a research chemical is not the clinical infusion product. | Approved by the FDA on 1 April 2026 as Foundayo, for chronic weight management in adults with obesity, or overweight with a weight-related condition. The first non-peptide, small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for weight loss. |
| Routes | Subcutaneous, Oral | Oral |
| Half-life | Not recorded | 30 hours |
| Cheapest per mgVials only, read from vendors' own listings and dated on the price index. | $0.47/mg | $40.00/mg |
| Median per mg | $1.12/mg | $40.00/mg |
| Vendors with a price | 9 | 1 |
| Storage once mixed | Refrigerated. A small molecule rather than a peptide, so the usual peptide stability rules do not transfer. | Not applicable. This is a tablet. |
Compare two other compounds · The full price index
This page is educational. It describes what published research reports, not what you should do. Peptides discussed here are largely not approved for human use, and nothing on BioAlmanac is medical advice. Nothing here ranks these two against each other. A table can show that one has more human evidence behind it or costs less per milligram; neither of those is a recommendation, and the right comparison for any person is one their doctor makes with them.