Nine research teams have cleared the first major hurdle in a federal competition to develop treatments for some of the world’s most neglected viral diseases, as the government announced it is raising the total prize pool to $150 million to accelerate the work.
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) announced Aug. 26 that the nine Concept Stage winners of its SMART Antiviral Prize will each receive $2.5 million to advance their drug candidates toward the next phase of development. The agency simultaneously added $50 million to the competition’s total value, expanding it from $100 million to $150 million. The announcement was made in collaboration with VITAL, a BARDA Accelerator Network Hub managing the competition’s operations.
There are currently no FDA-approved broad-spectrum antiviral treatments for viruses in the Flaviviridae or Togaviridae families, which include dengue, Zika, West Nile virus, and chikungunya. These pathogens collectively cause millions of infections annually, with case counts rising inside the United States as mosquito ranges shift and international travel sustains transmission chains. A single drug capable of treating multiple viruses within the same family would represent a significant advance for both routine clinical care and emergency preparedness.
“At the launch of the SMART Antiviral Prize earlier this year, we challenged the scientific community to rethink how we develop antiviral countermeasures for biological threats,” said John Knox, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. “The response has been extraordinary. These winners represent promising scientific approaches, and expanding the competition to $150 million will help accelerate the development of drug candidates that strengthen our nation’s preparedness.”
Nine Winners, Two Viral Families
The nine Concept Stage winners span academic medical centers, research institutions, and private companies. Six teams are targeting the Flaviviridae family: Emory University, Hackensack Meridian Health’s Center for Discovery and Innovation, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Neomorph Inc., Rockefeller University, and Shionogi Inc. Three teams are targeting the Togaviridae family: RTI International, Stanford University, and Washington University.
With concept awards now in hand, these teams move into the Hit-to-Lead stage of the competition, which opens in September 2026. Up to seven awards worth as much as $7.5 million each are available at this stage, totaling $52.5 million. Three of those awards are reserved for Concept Stage winners. Stage 1 requires teams to identify at least one promising chemical series showing reproducible antiviral activity in cell-based studies, along with early data on the compound’s behavior in the body and initial safety signals.
The competition uses an independent reference laboratory to verify submitted data, adding scientific rigor that distinguishes it from purely proposal-based funding programs. Submissions will be assessed against an anchor virus panel: four dengue serotypes for Flaviviridae candidates and chikungunya virus for Togaviridae candidates.
Timeline and Next Stages
The full timeline runs through 2030. Stage 2, Lead Optimization, is expected to open in early 2028, with up to four awards of $10.5 million each. Stage 3, IND Readiness, opens around early 2030 and requires teams to complete the nonclinical work necessary to file an Investigational New Drug application with the FDA, clearing the path to first-in-human clinical trials.
The competition’s structure allows new entrants to join at Stage 1, not just Concept Stage winners, broadening the field of potential contributors. The prize design reflects a broader federal strategy of using competition-based incentives alongside traditional grants and contracts to pull novel countermeasures through early-stage development, where commercial investment is often insufficient.
The urgency behind the initiative is real. Dengue alone infects an estimated 400 million people each year globally, and the United States has seen locally acquired cases in Florida and Texas in recent years. Chikungunya has caused large outbreaks across the Americas and gained FDA approval for a preventive vaccine in 2023, but treatment options remain limited to symptom management. A broad-spectrum oral antiviral effective within 48 hours of symptom onset is the target product the program is designed to produce.
Details on Stage 1 eligibility and application materials are available at SMARTantiviral.com, with Declaration of Intent submissions opening in September 2026.
Sources and further reading:
BARDA Announces SMART Antiviral Prize Concept Stage Winners, Expands Competition to $150 Million – ASPR
$150M SMART Antiviral Prize to Advance Novel Antiviral Therapies – Vital Hub Health
This article was researched and sourced by Global Biodefense editors and reported with Claude AI assistance for drafting and editing.