Joane Litvak

Synthesis of 3,5-disubstituted-1,2,4-oxadiazoles using tetrabutylammonium fluoride as a mild and efficient catalyst

Tetrabutylammonium fluoride (TBAF) was found to be a mild and efficient catalyst for the synthesis of 3,5-disubstituted-1,2,4-oxadiazoles. Using 0.1–1.0 equivalents of TBAF in THF for 1–24 h at room temperature, alkanoyl- and aroyloxyamidines were converted in high yield to the corresponding 3,5-disubstituted-1,2,4-oxadiazoles. A variety of R and R′ substituents were investigated.

Highly potent non-peptidic inhibitors of the HCV NS3/NS4A serine protease

Screening of a diverse set of bisbenzimidazoles for inhibition of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) serine protease NS3/NS4A led to the identification of a potent Zn(2+)-dependent inhibitor (1). Optimization of this screening hit afforded a 10-fold more potent inhibitor (46) under Zn(2+) conditions (K(i)=27nM). This compound (46) binds also to NS3/NS4A in a Zn(2+) independent fashion (K(i)=1microM). The SAR of this class of compounds under Zn(2+) conditions is highly divergent compared to the SAR in the absence of Zn(2+), suggesting two distinct binding modes.