Brian E. Green

Design of orally bioavailable, symmetry-based inhibitors of HIV protease.

A series of novel inhibitors of HIV-1 protease with excellent oral bioavailability is described. Differential acylation of the two amino groups of symmetry-based diamine core groups 2-5 led to unsymmetrically substituted inhibitors 17-43, many of which inhibited HIV protease at subnanomolar concentrations. Anti-HIV activity in vitro was observed at 0.1-1 microM. A systematic evaluation of the pharmacokinetic behavior of these inhibitors in rats identified the influence of aqueous solubility, molecular size and hydrogen-bonding functionality. Compound 30 (A-80987) was selected for further evaluation based on a favorable Cmax/ ED50 ratio (> 20) and half-life (> 2 h).

Novel Hepatitis C virus replicon inhibitors: Synthesis and structure–activity relationships of fused pyrimidine derivatives

The synthesis of several pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine and pyrimido[4,5-d]pyrimidine analogs is described with one such analog possessing subnanomolar potency in both genotype 1a and 1b cell culture HCV replicon assays.

Potent piperazine hydroxyethylamine HIV protease inhibitors containing novel P3 ligands

The 2-isopropyl thiazolyl group is a highly optimized P3 ligand for C2 symmetry-based HIV protease inhibitors, as exemplified in the drug ritonavir. Here we report that incorporation of this P3 ligand into a piperazine hydroxyethylamine series also yielded novel, highly potent inhibitors. In tissue culture assays, the presence of human serum was less deleterious to the activity of these inhibitors than to that of ritonavir. Furthermore, potent activity against ritonavir resistant HIV was observed.