The US Food and Drug Administration has given green signal to Anthrasil, a drug meant to treat patients infected by inhalational anthrax.

The FDA said the drug officially named as Anthrax Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human) will be used for treatment in combination with currently used antibacterial drugs. It is said that when patient starts exhibiting symptoms of the disease then it is considered to be too late.

But Anthrasil has been developed in such a way it would help anthrax victims even after they have started displaying symptoms. Inhalational anthrax is a rare form of the disease, which can happen after exposure to infected animals or through contaminated animal products.

The disease can also take place from the intentional release of anthrax spores. Such an incident took place in 2001 in which five people died from inhaling spores sent through the mail in a bioterrorist attack.

Main suspect was considered to be a scientist at a federal lab in Fort Detrick, Md. Identified by the FBI, he committed suicide during the investigation. Health officials affirmed that they need treatments like Anthrasil so that case of laboratory accidents can be handled.

In other incidents that took place in June 2014 in Atlanta, government workers became exposed to live anthrax. Experts have shared that inhaling bacterial spores is considered to be one of the deadliest ways to contract the disease.

After exposure, it can take weeks for symptoms to appear and there is a risk of massive irreversible tissue injury and death. "Today's approval provides an important additional treatment to other FDA-approved therapies for inhalational anthrax, a life-threatening disease", said Karen Midthun, MD, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. The product will be kept in the US Strategic National Stockpile.