Australian researchers say they have discovered an antidote for the sting of the Australian box jellyfish, the world’s most venomous sea creature.

The jellyfish — found in waters off Australia and the Philippines, has about 60 10-foot long tentacles. Just one of this particularly nasty species contains enough venom to kill 60 people; victims are “lucky” if they suffer  excruciating pain and skin necrosis, The Guardian reported. Severe exposures lead to cardiac arrest and death within minutes.

But now, pain researchers at the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre say they have found a “molecular antidote” that blocks the symptoms of the painful sting if it’s applied within 15 minutes, according to the report.

The researchers used millions of humans cell and inserted a different human gene into each, before adding the venom and singling out cells that survived the sea creature’s attack, the outlet reported.

“It’s the first molecular dissection of how this type of venom works, and possibly how any venom works,” the study’s lead author, Raymond Lau, told the outlet.

Researchers believe the drug can completely stop necrosis, skin scarring and pain when it’s applied — but it has yet to be determined whether it’s able to stop a heart attack, the outlet reported.

The researchers, who published their findings Tuesday in the journal  Nature Communications, say they hope to one day develop a topical application for humans.