Fragment-Based Discovery of BACE1 Inhibitors Using Functional Assays

Novel nonpeptidic inhibitors of β-secretase (BACE1) have been discovered by employing a fragment-based biochemical screening approach. A diverse library of 20000 low-molecular weight compounds were screened and yielded 26 novel hits that were confirmed by biochemical and surface plasmon resonance secondary assays. We describe here fragment inhibitors cocrystallized with BACE1 in a flap open and flap closed conformation as determined by X-ray crystallography.