LONDON, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Britain will study whether

the use of Eli Lilly's ( LLY ) weight loss drug can get people

back into work and help tackle the high rate of long-term

sickness that has become a major drag on the economy.

Health minister Wes Streeting predicted the use of the drug

- a competitor to Novo Nordisk's Ozempic - could help transform

the health of the nation, after Lilly announced a 279 million

pound ($365 million) investment in Britain as part of a flagship

summit hosted by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The deal included "a major real-world study into obesity" on

the effectiveness of tirzepatide, marketed as Mounjaro in

Britain.

"The long-term benefits of these drugs could be monumental

in our approach to tackling obesity," Streeting wrote in an

article in the Telegraph newspaper.

"For many people, these weight-loss jabs will be

life-changing, help them get back to work, and ease the demands

on our NHS."

The University of Manchester will coordinate the study and

collect data on "health-related quality of life and changes in

participants' employment status and sick days from work."

Earlier this month, England's National Health Service (NHS)

outlined a plan to give the drug to nearly a quarter of a

million people as part of a three-year plan.

Streeting said that while the drug would be a tool to tackle

obesity, people would need to make lifestyle changes too so that

the state-run health service, already struggling after years of

crises, was not put under further strain.

"Along with the rights to access these new drugs, there must

remain a responsibility on us all to take healthy living more

seriously," Streeting said.

"The NHS can't be expected to always pick up the tab for

unhealthy lifestyles."

($1 = 0.7646 pounds)