Sept 25 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug

Administration approved Crinetics Pharmaceuticals' ( CRNX ) drug

to treat a rare hormonal disorder on Thursday, making it the

first once-daily oral pill available for patients in the

country.

The drug, chemically known as paltusotine and to be sold

under the brand name Palsonify, was approved to treat

acromegaly, a rare condition in which the pituitary gland in the

brain produces excess growth hormone, causing the bones, organs

and other tissues to grow bigger. This is caused due to a tumor

on the pituitary gland.

According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health,

scientists estimate about 3 to 14 of every 100,000 people have

been diagnosed as having acromegaly.