** U.S.-listed shares of Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk NOVOb.CO rise 2.3% to $43.8

** Britain's medicines regulator approved Novo's weight-loss pill, 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 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

** Shares of drugmaker Lilly were up 2.6% at $1168.2

** 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

** Including session moves, NVO down 14.6% and LLY up 7% YTD