3'-Tetrahydrofuranylglycine as a novel, unnatural amino acid surrogate for asparagine in the design of inhibitors of the HIV protease

The blockade of the HIV protease has become a major target in the search for an effective therapy for AIDS.1 While many reports of potent HIV-1 inhibitors have appeared recently, the compound Ro 31–8959 remains the least selective for the HIV-1 and HIV-2 proteases.2 This property may result in reduced susceptibility to resistance since these represent the genetically most divergent strains of HIV presently known to exist.