The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has awarded a contract worth $5 million initially to Raleigh-based BioCryst Pharmaceuticals to develop a treatment for Marburg virus disease.

The contract could be worth as much as $22 million over five years if all options are exercised.

BioCryst (Nasdaq: BCRX) announced the contract early Tuesday before the markets opened. 

BioCryst is developing a compound called BCX4430, which is part of the firm’s antiviral research program. The company plans to research and then file investigational new drug applications for both intraveneous and intramuscular treatment of the Marburg virus disease.

“Filovirus diseases such as Marburg virus hemorrhagic fever represent serious threats to national security, and the U.S. Government has prioritized the development of medical countermeasures against these diseases. We are very pleased that NIAID has selected BioCryst’s BCX4430 BSAV program as an early development project in this important field,” said Dr. William Sheridan, BioCryst’s chief medical officer.