Qualigen Therapeutics Inc. has signed a license agreement for the technology, and plans to fund continued development with the university to prepare it for market release.

The donation will help the university fast-track development of the research and apply to the Food and Drug Administration to begin treating people infected with COVID-19, U of L said in a news release.

Early tests indicate that synthetic DNA may stop viruses, including COVID-19, from replicating inside the human body.