ATLANTA- An LSU graduate and Baton Rouge native who now lives in Georgia said her company has a patent pending on a drug that has shown promising results treating COVID-19 in lab tests.

Darnisha Harrison said as the country and Louisiana face another spike in cases, time was of the essence to let people know.

"Drosperinone has shown quite consistent efficacy in COVID-19 as a potential therapeutic," Harrison said. "Dually targeted in blocking entry of COVID-19 at a rate of 70 percent and blocking replication at a rate of 80 percent."

Harrison said her company, Ennaid Therapeutics is sharing the information because they have a moral and ethical responsibility.

"It's a significant step in the direction of bringing this global crisis to an end and keeping the world safe," Harrison said.

Researchers at the Universidad Catolica de Murica in Spain identified the drug as a solid therapeutic, showing significant antiviral activity. It's a generic drug and was first introduced in 2000 for use as birth control and hormone therapy.

Regulatory agencies would still need to certify the findings. But as the lab results look promising, Harrison said it was important for the public to be informed about what her company found.

Earlier this year, her company applied for another patent involving another drug they found that helps block COVID-19.