LONDON — U.S. pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly is exploring whether obesity drugs could be used to curb joblessness after signing a major investment deal with the U.K. The weight-loss treatment firm and creator of Zepbound announced Monday that it would commit £279 million ($364 million) to help tackle Britain’s significant health challenges — including obesity. Within that, the five-year trial, conducted in collaboration with Health Innovation Manchester, will also explore how weight-loss drugs impact “participants’ employment status and sick days from work,” the company said in a news release. The use cases for obesity drugs have been growing over recent months, with several drug regulators expanding GLP-1 drug labels for use in treating obesity-related comorbidities and other illnesses. The company said it anticipates making an additional £279 million of new investment into the U.K. over the coming years.

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