Inhibitors of aspartyl protease

A compound of formula I:

• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein:
• E′ is —SO2—;
• A is —R1—Ht;
• R1 is —O—C(O)—;
• Ht is a 5-membered saturated or unsaturated heterocycle, containing one or more oxygen;
• wherein said heterocycle is optionally fused to Q;
• and wherein said Ht is optionally substituted with one or more substituents independently selected from oxo, —OR2, SR2, —R2, —N(R2)(R2), —R2—OH, —CN, —CO2R2, —C(O)—N(R2)2, —S(O)2—N(R2)2, —N(R2)—C(O)—R2, —N(R2)—C(O)O—R2, —C(O)—R2, —S(O)n—R2, —OCF3, —S(O)n—Q, methylenedioxy, —N(R2)—S(O)2(R2), halo, —CF3, —NO2, Q or —OQ;
• each Q is independently selected from a 3-7 membered saturated, partially saturated or unsaturated carbocyclic ring system;
• or a 5-7 membered saturated, partially saturated or unsaturated heterocyclic ring containing one or more heteroatoms selected from O, N, or S;
• wherein Q is optionally substituted with one or more groups selected from oxo, —OR2, —R2, —SO2R2, —SO2—N(R2)2, —N(R2)2, —N(R2)—C(O)—R2, —R2—OH, —CN, —CO2R2, —C(O)—N(R2)2, halo, —CF3;
• each R2 is independently selected from H, or C1-C4 alkyl;
• and wherein said alkyl, when not a substituent of Q, is optionally substituted with Q or —OR3;
• wherein when said R2 is an —OR3 substituted moiety, said R3 in —OR3 may not be —OR2 substituted;
• B, when present, is —N(R2)—C(R3)2—C(O)—;
• each x is independently 0 or 1;
• each R3 is independently selected from H, Ht, C1-C6 alkyl, C2-C6 alkenyl, C2-C6 alkynyl, C3-C6 cycloalkyl or C5-C6 cycloalkenyl;
• wherein any member of said R3, except H, is optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from —OR2, —C(O)—NH—R2, —S(O)n—N(R2)(R2), —N(R2)2, —N(R2)—C(O)—O(R2), —N(R2)—C(O)—N(R2), —N(R2)—C(O)—(R2), Ht, —CN, —SR2, —CO2R2, or NR2—C(O)—R2;
• each n is independently 1 or 2;
• G, when present, is selected from R7 or C1-C4 alkyl, or, when G is C1-C4 alkyl, G and R7 are optionally bound to one another through a C1-C3 linker to form a heterocyclic ring;
• D is selected from Q;
• C1-C6 alkyl optionally substituted with one or more groups selected from C3-C6 cycloalkyl, —OR2, —S—Ht, —R3, —O—Q or Q;
• C2-C4 alkenyl optionally substituted with one or more groups selected from —OR2, —S—Ht, —R3, —O—Q or Q;
• C3-C6 cycloalkyl optionally substituted with or fused to Q;
• or C5-C6 cycloalkenyl optionally substituted with or fused to Q;
• D′ is selected from C1-C15 alkyl, C2-C15 alkenyl or C2-C15 alkynyl, each of which contains one or more substituents selected from oxo, halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —NO2, azido, —SH, —SR3, —N(R3)—N(R3)2, —O—N(R3)2, —(R3)N—O—(R3), —N(R3)2, —CN, —CO2R3, —C(O)—N(R3)2, —S(O)n—N(R3)2, —N(R3)—C(O)—R3, —N(R3)—C(O)—N(R3)2, —N(R3)—C(O)—S(R3), —C(O)—R3, —S(O)n—R3, —N(R3)—S(O)n(R3), —N(R3)—S(O)n—N(R3)2, —S—NR3—C(O)R3, —C(S)N(R3)2, —C(S)R3, —NR3—C(O)OR3, —O—C(O)OR3, —O—C(O)N(R3)2, —NR3—C(S)R3, ═N—OH, ═N—OR3, ═N—N(R3)2, ═NR3, ═NNR3C(O)N(R3)2, ═NNR3C(O)OR3, ═NNR3S(O)n—N(R3)2, —NR3—C(S)OR3, —NR3—C(S)N(R3)2, —NR3—C[═N(R3)]—N(R3)2, —N(R3)—C[═N—NO2]—N(R3)2, —N(R3)—C[═N—NO2]—OR3, —N(R3)—C[═N—CN]—OR3, —N(R3)—C[═N—CN]—(R3)2, —OC(O)R3, —OC(S)R3, —OC(O)N(R3)2, —C(O)N(R3)—N(R3)2, —O—C(O)N(R3)—N(R3)2, O—C(O)N(OR3)(R3), N(R3)—N(R3)C(O)R3, N(R3)—OC(O)R3, N(R3)—OC(O)R3, N(R3)—OC(O)R3, —OC(S)N(R3)2, —OC(S)N(R3)(R3), or PO3—R3;
• E is benzodioxole, which is optionally substituted with one or more substituents independently selected from oxo, —OR2, SR2, —R2, —N(R2)(R2), —R2—OH, —CN, —CO2R2, —C(O)—N(R2)2, —S(O)2—N(R2)2, —N(R2)—C(O)—R2, —N(R2)—C(O)O—R2, —C(O)—R2, —S(O)n—R2, —OCF3, —S(O)n—Q, methylenedioxy, —N(R2)—S(O)2(R2), halo, —CF3, —NO2, Q or —OQ;
• and
• each R7 is hydrogen.