Engineered by Chiss biotechnicians under New Republic Intelligence Service Director Dif Scaur and scientist Joi Eicroth, Alpha Red was a biological weapon specific to the Yuuzhan Vong that would kill any Yuuzhan Vong or Yuuzhan Vong-related lifeforms.
In its initial stages, the project was sabotaged by the Jedi Vergere. It was later remade but, at the objections of the New Jedi Order, senior members of the Defense Force, and members of the Galactic Alliance Advisory Council, was then put on hold as a weapon of last resort by Chief of State Cal Omas. However, in the buildup to the Defense of Mon Calamari, the weapon was field tested at Caluula, and was successful—disturbingly so: amphistaffs lost their ability to harden, vonduun crab armor lost their hardness, blorash jelly liquefied at a steady rate, yorik coral lost its color, and villips began having difficulty relaying images. Even after death, the Yuuzhan Vong continued to deteriorate, bleeding from the eyes and ears, and their bodies eventually liquefied.
Unfortunately, the weapon also mutated, due to its infecting so many individuals and thereby adapting to each individual's unique genetics, despite Chiss assurances that it would not, and began attacking other lifeforms on Caluula, such as the planet's unique winged-star insects. Horrified by this development, the Galactic Alliance immediately attempted to quarantine Caluula to stem the spread of the bioweapon. However, a single coralcraft infected with Alpha Red managed to escape destruction and flee to occupied Coruscant. Supreme Overlord Shimrra Jamaane was able to recognize the anti-Yuuzhan Vong properties of Alpha Red, and deduced that the weapon must also affect the living planet Zonama Sekot. In a bold attempt to destroy the planet, Shimrra planned to have the infected coralcraft crash into Zonama Sekot and allow the virus to slowly extinguish all life on the surface, as well as the world's planetary consciousness. To this end, he sacrificed his ships and warriors to keep the virus active for its deadly mission in the upcoming battle. However, Sekot was able to foil the attack by unleashing a swarm of insectile craft to divert the infected vessel into deep space. Following the war, the Galactic Alliance destroyed their remaining Alpha Red stockpiles, as well as the genetic blueprints.
Nevertheless, over a century later, Darth Maladi was able to gain access to Alpha Red and refine it into the strain known as Omega Red.