Inhibition of HIV-1 capsid assembly: Optimization of the antiviral potency by site selective modifications at N1, C2 and C16 of a 5-(5-furan-2-yl-pyrazol-1-yl)-1H-benzimidazole scaffold

A uHTS campaign led to the discovery of a 5-(5-furan-2-ylpyrazol-1-yl)-1H-benzimidazole series that inhibits assembly of HIV-1 capsid. Synthetic manipulations at N1, C2 and C16 positions improved the antiviral potency by a factor of 1000. The X-ray structure of 33 complexed with the capsid N-terminal domain allowed identification of major interactions between the inhibitor and the protein. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.