Thrombin is a serine protease present in blood plasma in the form of a precursor, prothrombin. Thrombin plays a central role in the mechanism of blood coagulation by converting the solution plasma protein, fibrinogen, into insoluble fibrin.
Edwards et al., J. Amer. Chem. Soc., (1992) vol. 114, pp. 1854–63, describes peptidyl a-ketobenzoxazoles which are reversible inhibitors of the serine proteases human leukocyte elastase and porcine pancreatic elastase. European Publication 363 284 describes analogs of peptidase substrates in which the nitrogen atom of the scissile amide group of the substrate peptide has been replaced by hydrogen or a substituted carbonyl moiety. Australian Publication 86245677 also describes peptidase inhibitors having an activated electrophilic ketone moiety such as fluoromethylene ketone or a-keto carboxyl derivatives. R. J. Brown et al., J. Med. Chem., Vol. 37, pages 1259–1261 (1994) describes orally active, non-peptidic inhibitors of human leukocyte elastase which contain trifluoromethylketone and pyridinone moieties. H. Mack et al., J. Enzyme Inhibition, Vol. 9, pages 73–86 (1995) describes rigid amidino-phenylalanine thrombin inhibitors which contain a pyridinone moiety as a central core structure. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,536,708, 5,672,582, 5,510,369 and 5,741,485 describe proline-based thrombin inhibitors having cyclohexylamino end groups.