By Bhanvi Satija and Christy Santhosh

June 11 (Reuters) - Britain's medicines regulator approved Novo Nordisk's NOVOb.CO weight-loss pill on Thursday, giving patients a new needle-free obesity treatment option and bolstering the Danish drugmaker's first-to-market lead against U.S. rival Eli Lilly LLY.N.

The approval gives more than 10 million people living in England a more convenient alternative as drugmakers race to expand use of the medicines, which have transformed demand for weight-loss treatments and reshaped the pharmaceutical industry.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has approved Wegovy pill for adults with obesity who have a body mass index of 30 or above, or those with a BMI between 27 and 30 and at least one related condition.

The approval will be followed by an assessment by Britain's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence before the pill becomes available on the NHS.

Until then, patients can access the pill through private providers. Novo expects the drug to be available via private prescription within weeks.

Danielle Brightman, clinical director at digital healthcare platform Numan, said approval for oral means "better access for more people battling obesity".

Obesity affects about 30% of adults in England, equivalent to an estimated 13 million to 14 million people, according to latest estimates by NHS England.

Novo's pill contains semaglutide, the same active ingredient used in its blockbuster injectable drugs Wegovy for weight loss and Ozempic for diabetes.