Los Angeles: The Food and Drug Administration had sanctioned a new version of a ringworm drug to treat tinea capitis, a scalp fungus for children aged 4 years and older.

Tinea capitis is an unrelenting and infectious fungal infection, which generally does not respond to topical treatment. It can result in severe itchiness, dandruff and bald patches.

The medicine prepared by Novartis, is available in crumb-size granules. The USFDA had asked Novartis to produce a version of a child-friendly type of Lamisil, known commonly as terbinafine hydrochloride

Under federal law, FDA can grant special marketing rights to companies, which make drugs especially for use in children.

In a statement, Dr. Steven Galson, director of FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said, “A parent’s ability to sprinkle it on the food of a child, who may not like to take medicine, should go a long way to helping ensure the infection is properly treated and to limiting its spread.”