HIV protease inhibitors

A pharmaceutical composition comprising:

• (a) an active ingredient that is:
• (i) a compound of the formula:
• ##STR138## wherein:
• Q.sub.1 and Q.sub.2 are each independently selected from hydrogen and substituted and unsubstituted alkyl and aryl;
• Q.sub.3 is selected from mercapto and substituted and unsubstituted alkoxyl, aryloxyl, thioether, amino, alkyl, cycloalkyl, saturated and partially saturated heterocycle, and aryl;
• Q.sub.4, Q.sub.5, Q.sub.6, Q.sub.7, and Q.sub.8 are each independently selected from hydrogen, hydroxyl, mercapto, nitro, halogen, --O--J, where J is a substituted or unsubstituted hydrolyzable group, and substituted and unsubstituted alkoxyl, aryloxyl, thioether, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, amino, alkyl, cycloalkyl, saturated and partially saturated heterocycle, aryl, and L.sub.6 C(O)L.sub.4, where L.sub.6 is a single bond, --O or --N, and further where L.sub.4 is alkyl, hydroxyl, alkoxyl or hydrogen;
• and further wherein any one or more of Q.sub.4, Q.sub.5, Q.sub.6, Q.sub.7, and Q.sub.8 may be a member of a spiro ring, and any two of Q.sub.4, Q.sub.5, Q.sub.6, Q.sub.7, and Q.sub.8 may together be members of a ring;
• E is carbon or nitrogen;
• Q.sub.9 is selected from hydrogen, halogen, hydroxyl, mercapto, and substituted and unsubstituted alkoxyl, aryloxyl, thioether, amino, alkyl, and aryl, where Q.sub.9 may form part of a ring;
• ##STR139## is a monocyclic or polycyclic carbocycle or heterocycle, which is optionally further substituted, and when ##STR140## is heterocycle, each heterocyclic ring has one to three heteroatoms independently selected from nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur;
• and
• B.sub.1 and B.sub.2 form part of a ring having from 6 to 10 members, which ring is optionally further substituted and optionally has from one to three heteroatoms independently selected from nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur;
• where when ##STR141## is a carbocycle, the ring formed partly by B.sub.1 and B.sub.2 is a heterocycle;
• or
• (ii) a prodrug or pharmaceutically acceptable salt of said compound;
• and
• (b) a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

A method of inhibiting HIV protease, comprising administering to a host an effective amount of:

• a compound of the formula:
• ##STR142## wherein:
• Q.sub.1 and Q.sub.2 are each independently selected from hydrogen and substituted and unsubstituted alkyl and aryl;
• Q.sub.3 is selected from mercapto and substituted and unsubstituted alkoxyl, aryloxyl, thioether, amino, alkyl, cycloalkyl, saturated and partially saturated heterocycle, and aryl;
• Q.sub.4, Q.sub.5, Q.sub.6, Q.sub.7, and Q.sub.8 are each independently selected from hydrogen, hydroxyl, mercapto, nitro, halogen, --O--J, where J is a substituted or unsubstituted hydrolyzable group, and substituted and unsubstituted alkoxyl, aryloxyl, thioether, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, amino, alkyl, cycloalkyl, saturated and partially saturated heterocycle, aryl, and L.sub.6 C(O)L.sub.4, where L.sub.6 is a single bond, --O or --N, and further where L.sub.4 is alkyl, hydroxyl, alkoxyl or hydrogen;
• and further wherein any one or more of Q.sub.4, Q.sub.5, Q.sub.6, Q.sub.7, and Q.sub.8 may be a member of a spiro ring, and any two of Q.sub.4, Q.sub.5, Q.sub.6, Q.sub.7, and Q.sub.8 may together be members of a ring;
• E is carbon or nitrogen;
• Q.sub.9 is selected from hydrogen, halogen, hydroxyl, mercapto, and substituted and unsubstituted alkoxyl, aryloxyl, thioether, amino, alkyl, and aryl, where Q.sub.9 may form part of a ring;
• ##STR143## is a monocyclic or polycyclic carbocycle or heterocycle, which is optionally further substituted, and when ##STR144## is heterocycle, each heterocyclic ring has one to three heteroatoms independently selected from nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur;
• and B.sub.1 and B.sub.2 form part of a ring having from 6 to 10 members, which ring is optionally further substituted and optionally has from one to three heteroatoms independently selected from nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur;
• where when ##STR145## is a carbocycle, the ring formed partly by B.sub.1 and B.sub.2 is a heterocycle;
• or a prodrug or pharmaceutically acceptable salt of said compound.