Emory University receives SMART Antiviral Prize Concept Stage Award for development of antiviral therapies targeting Flaviviridae
September 4, 2026
Raymond Schinazi, the principal investigator for the prize, says it is an honor to receive the highly competitive prize to develop broad-spectrum antiviral agents for flaviviruses, which infect and kill millions every year globally.
Emory University’s Schinazi Lab, along with the Burwitz Lab at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and Aligos Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company, has recently been awarded a SMART Antiviral Prize for the Concept Stage.
Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), within the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), in collaboration with VITAL – a BARDA Accelerator Network Hub – created the SMART Antiviral Prize, a $150M multi-phase initiative supporting development of broad-spectrum, small-molecule antiviral therapies targeting viruses in the Togaviridae and Flaviviridae families.
The SMART Antiviral Prize brings together experts in drug development, virology, pharmacology, artificial intelligence, medicinal chemistry, and public health to develop orally bioavailable and resilient antiviral drugs capable of targeting multiple viruses within the same family. These viruses cause millions of infections each year.
“It is an honor to receive this highly competitive prize to develop broad-spectrum antiviral agents for flaviviruses,” says Raymond Schinazi, the principal investigator for the SMART Antiviral Prize and Frances Winship Walters Professor of Pediatrics at Emory University. “These viruses infect and kill millions every year globally, and there are no FDA-approved treatments. Our collaborative team with Aligos and OHSU will produce nucleoside analogs that have the potential to treat these virus infections that commonly cause severe neurological disease and deaths in adults and especially children,” adds Schinazi, also the senior advisor of the Center for ViroScience and Cure for the Pediatric Research Alliance.
Schinazi and his collaborators were awarded $2.5 million in the Concept Stage, which had a total prize pool of $22.5 million. Selected recipients may be eligible to compete for additional funding in future stages, including up to $52.5 million in total awards during the Stage 1: Hit-to-Lead, followed by subsequent stages supporting lead optimization and IND readiness.
“We are pleased to partner with our esteemed collaborators at Emory University and Oregon Health & Science University on the SMART Antiviral Prize,” stated Lawrence Blatt, Ph.D., M.B.A., chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Aligos Therapeutics. “Viruses within the Flaviviridae families affect millions of people globally each year and continue to represent an unmet public health need, particularly given the limited availability of broadly effective antiviral treatment options. This award reflects BARDA’s recognition of the potential strength of our collaborative approach and the opportunity to leverage our expertise in antiviral drug discovery and development. We look forward to advancing these promising next-generation antiviral candidates through the future stages of the SMART Prize program and, if successful, toward future stages of development.”
About the Schinazi Lab at Emory University
Dr. Schinazi’s lab was established in 1983 and is currently housed in Emory’s Health Science Research Building. The lab employs more than 60 people, including several research faculty, post-doctoral fellows, support scientists, research staff, administrative personnel and graduate students. The laboratory consists of approximately 10,000 sq. ft. of lab space, with another 6,800 sq. ft. dedicated to administration. This includes a 2,000 sq. ft. BSL-2* land a BSL-3 suites for research and training, large chemistry laboratories, four dedicated molecular biology labs, three cellular/molecular toxicology and pharmacological facilities, mass spectrometry, gene chip and flow cytometry facilities.
About Aligos
Aligos Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALGS) is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company founded with the mission to improve patient outcomes by developing best-in-class therapies for the treatment of liver and viral diseases. Aligos applies its science driven approach and deep R&D expertise to advance its purpose-built pipeline of therapeutics with high unmet medical needs such as chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.
About the Burwitz Lab at Oregan Health & Sciences University
Dr. Burwitz’s lab is a diverse group of researchers converging on the immunology and pathogenesis of infectious diseases and emerging genome editing technologies. His lab studies viral infections with liver involvement, including Hepatitis B, Yellow Fever, and HIV, and strives to understand pathogen:host interactions for the design of novel prophylactic and therapeutic drugs.
About VITAL
VITAL is a BARDA Accelerator Network Hub supporting the development and acceleration of next-generation therapeutic and vaccine platforms and technologies to promote health security. VITAL is powered by Start2 Group in collaboration with partners Advise Connect Inspire (ACI) and BioLabs.
