US FDA approves oral granules for scalp ringworm

LOS ANGELES, Sept 28 (Reuters) - U.S. drug regulators on Friday said they had approved antifungal granules that can be sprinkled on a child's food to treat ringworm of the scalp.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it had requested a child-friendly form of Lamisil, known generically as terbinafine hydrochloride, from manufacturer Novartis AG (NOVN.VX).

The new treatment is approved for use by children aged 4 years and older, the FDA said.

Tinea capitis most commonly affects children and is often characterized by severe itching, dandruff and bald patches. It is a persistent and contagious fungal infection that usually does not respond to topical treatment.

"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," said Dr. Steven Galson, director of FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, in a statement. (Reporting by Lisa Baertlein, editing by Tim Dobbyn)