April 2 (Reuters) - Four doses of Eli Lilly's ( LLY )

diabetes drug Mounjaro would remain in tight supply through 2024

due to soaring demand, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's

website showed.

The regulator noted limited availability of 7.5, 10, 12.5,

and 15 milligram doses through April, while lower doses were

listed as "available". The FDA had previously said that three

doses would have limited availability through early March.

The injection, which is chemically known as tirzepatide,

gained the FDA's approval for weight loss under the brand name

Zepbound in the United States last year.

Bloomberg News reported last Thursday that pharmacies such

as Rite Aid and Amazon Pharmacy were facing a short supply of

Zepbound. However, the U.S. health regulator does not currently

consider the obesity shot to be in shortage.

Lilly said last week it continues to manufacture and ship

all doses of Zepbound, but due to the unprecedented demand for

these medicines, some patients could experience difficulty when

trying to fill their prescription at their pharmacy.

Soaring demand for a class of highly effective diabetes

and obesity drugs known as GLP-1 agonists, which suppress

appetite and promote a feeling of fullness, has led to supply

constraints for drugmakers such as Lilly and Danish drugmaker

Novo Nordisk.

Lilly's Mounjaro was approved in 2022 for patients with

type-2 diabetes to control their blood sugar levels.