Discovery of macrocyclic covalent inhibitors for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 3CL protease

The coronavirus disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been spread worldwide for more than 3 years. Although the hospitalization rate and mortality have decreased dramatically due to wide vaccination effort and improved treatment options, the disease is still a global health issue due to constant viral mutations, causing negative impact on social and economic activities. In addition, long COVID and complications arising from COVID-19 weeks after infection have become a concern for public health experts. Therefore, better treatments for COVID-19 are still needed. Herein, we describe a class of macrocyclic peptidomimetic compounds that are potent inhibitors of SARS-Cov-2 3CL protease (3CL(pro)). Significantly, some of the compounds showed a higher stability against human liver microsomes (HLM t(1/2) > 180 min) and may be suitable for oral administration without the need for a pharmacokinetic (PK) boosting agent such as ritonavir.