Design of Novel, Potent, Noncovalent Inhibitors of Thrombin with Nonbasic P-1 Substructures:  Rapid Structure−Activity Studies by Solid-Phase Synthesis

Study of surface representations of the inhibitor-bound thrombin P-1 pocket revealed a lipophilic recess in this pocket which is not occupied by any known inhibitor. Solid-phase synthesis was used to generate benzylamides of d-diphenylAlaPro by aminolysis of Boc dipeptide Kaiser resin. The resulting amides inhibited thrombin in the range IC50 = 3−13 000 nM, and the structure−activity relationships and molecular modeling suggest a unique fit of the benzyl side chain into P-1 with the meta substituent occupying the recess.