10.1016/S0960-894X(02)00585-1
The research aimed to develop novel, potent, and orally bioavailable thrombin inhibitors to address the limitations of existing antithrombotic drugs like heparin and warfarin. Thrombin, a serine protease, plays a central role in blood clotting and is a key target for antithrombotic therapy. The study focused on designing and synthesizing a series of non-covalent inhibitors (NC1–NC44) featuring P1-bicyclic arginine mimics with weakly basic properties (calcd pKa 3.6–8.6) to improve oral bioavailability and pharmacokinetic profiles. These inhibitors incorporated various P4-aromatics and P3-heterocyclic dipeptide surrogates to enhance potency and selectivity. The researchers used a combination of P3-pyridones, pyridazinones, and diverse P1-heteroaromatic arginine surrogates such as indazoles, benzimidazoles, and benzotriazoles. The results showed that several of these inhibitors demonstrated high potency (Ki values ranging from 2.5 to 33 nM) and selectivity against thrombin, with some candidates (NC17–20 and NC24–31) exhibiting excellent pharmacokinetic properties in dogs. The study concluded that the balance between P4-hydrophobe, P3-heterocycle, and P1-arginine mimic is crucial for achieving high potency and efficacy.