Dec 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration

on Thursday found that there was no longer a shortage of Eli

Lilly's ( LLY ) blockbuster weight loss and diabetes drugs

following a re-evaluation of their supply by the agency.

The finding effectively bars widespread sales of cheaper

copies of the drugs that many patients use, but the FDA said it

would not take any action against the compounding pharmacies

that make them within 60 to 90 days of the decision.

U.S. regulations allow compounding pharmacies to copy

brand-name medicines that are in short supply by combining,

mixing or altering drug ingredients to meet demand.

The FDA added that Novo Nordisk's weight-loss

drug was still in shortage, despite all doses being listed as

available.

Lilly did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A compounding pharmacies group had sued the agency in

October over its decision to take tirzepatide, the active

ingredient in the weight-loss drug Zepbound and diabetes drug

Mounjaro, off its list of drugs experiencing shortages.

The Outsourcing Facilities Association claimed that the FDA

had made its decision based on Lilly's claims that it could meet

demand for the drugs, without giving the public a chance to

weigh in. It said that the drug remained in short supply.