Aug 14 (Reuters) - Eli Lilly has sent cease-and-desist letters to US healthcare providers in recent days demanding they stop promoting copycat weight-loss drugs as the supply of the company's drug Zepbound improves, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday.

Lilly now considers the brand name drug to be available and thinks compounded drugs made at state-licensed facilities should not be sold anymore, the report added, citing a spokesperson.

The company did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. (Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)