Dec ‌12 (Reuters) - The European Medicines Agency's committee on Friday recommended ‍extending ‌the use of Eli Lilly's blockbuster drug Mounjaro for ⁠the treatment of type ‌2 diabetes in adolescents and children aged 10 years and above.

Treatment options for children with type 2 diabetes for controlling blood ⁠sugar had been limited to metformin and insulin.

Lilly and Danish rival ​Novo Nordisk have been studying their blockbuster ‌GLP-1 drugs for use ⁠in the younger population.

Novo's older GLP-1 drug, Victoza, is approved for children 10 years and older with type ​2 diabetes. Its drug Wegovy is used to help children aged 12 years and older with weight loss.

Lilly's tirzepatide, sold as Mounjaro in Europe, is already approved ​to ‍treat adults with ​type 2 diabetes that is not satisfactorily controlled. It is also approved for weight loss in adults.

The committee's recommendation included extending the use of Mounjaro to those above 10 years with insufficiently controlled type 2 diabetes as ⁠a standalone treatment when metformin is considered inappropriate due to intolerance or contraindications, or ​as an 'add-on' to other diabetes medicines.

In a late-stage trial, Mounjaro helped children and adolescents aged 10 to 17 years with type 2 diabetes manage ‌their blood sugar better and lose weight.

(Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Sahal Muhammed)