Oct 3 (Reuters) -

England's National Health Services will offer Eli Lilly's ( LLY )

weight-loss drug to nearly a quarter million people as

part of a three-year plan, the country's drugs cost regulator

said on Thursday.

The drug, called Mounjaro in the UK and Zepbound in the

U.S., would be initially offered to obese people with at least

three weight-related health conditions, the National Institute

for Health and Care Excellence said.

The conditions are hypertension, sleep apnea, cardiovascular

disorders and unhealthy levels of lipids like cholesterol.

As part of a phased rollout, the drug would then be

offered to people with two of the conditions and then to those

with just one.

The plans have been described in an application from the NHS

to UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

(Reporting by Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo

and Arun Koyyur)