Development of potent dipeptide-type SARS-CoV 3CL protease inhibitors with novel P3 scaffolds: Design, synthesis, biological evaluation, and docking studies

We report the design and synthesis of a series of dipeptide-type inhibitors with novel P3 scaffolds that display potent inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV 3CL(pro). A docking study involving binding between the dipeptidic lead compound 4 and 3CL(pro) suggested the modification of a structurally flexible P3 N-(3-methoxyphenyl)glycine with various rigid P3 moieties in 4. The modifications led to the identification of several potent derivatives, including 5c–k and 5n with the inhibitory activities (K(i) or IC(50)) in the submicromolar to nanomolar range. Compound 5h, in particular, displayed the most potent inhibitory activity, with a K(i) value of 0.006 μM. This potency was 65-fold higher than the potency of the lead compound 4 (K(i) = 0.39 μM). In addition, the K(i) value of 5h was in very good agreement with the binding affinity (16 nM) observed in isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). A SAR study around the P3 group in the lead 4 led to the identification of a rigid indole-2-carbonyl unit as one of the best P3 moieties (5c). Further optimization showed that a methoxy substitution at the 4-position on the indole unit was highly favorable for enhancing the inhibitory potency.