Discovery of Spiro[chromane-2,4'-piperidine] Derivatives as Irreversible Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Papain-like Protease.
Wei, Q., Taylor, A.J., Miriyala, N., Barmade, M.A., Gentry, Z.O., Anderson-Daniels, J., Teuscher, K.B., Crow, M.M., Apakama, C., South, T.M., Rietz, T.A., Amporndanai, K., Phan, J., Sensintaffar, J.L., Denison, M., Lee, T., Fesik, S.W.(2026) J Med Chem 
- PubMed: 41629155 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5c03704
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
9Z0C, 9Z0D - PubMed Abstract: 
The papain-like protease (PL Pro ) plays a key role in SARS-CoV-2 replication and represents a promising target for the development of new antiviral therapies. Previous efforts to develop fragment-derived inhibitors of PL Pro led to the identification of a novel class of spiro[chromane-2,4'-piperidin]-4-one inhibitors exemplified by lead compound 7 . High-resolution covalent cocrystal structures and molecular dynamics simulations were utilized to guide the development of a series of low-nanomolar irreversible PL Pro inhibitors, with lead compound 45 demonstrating strong enzymatic inhibition (IC 50 = 0.059 μM at T = 60 min) and antiviral activity in A549 cells (EC 50 = 2.1 μM at 48 hpi). This novel class of inhibitors represents a promising avenue for the development of therapeutics to overcome the potential of drug-resistant viral strains and future coronavirus outbreaks.
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-0146, United States.
Organizational Affiliation: 
















