In a continuing study of bevirimat (2), the anti-HIV-maturation clinical trials agent, 28 new betulinic acid (BA, 1) derivatives were designed and synthesized. Among these compounds, 17, with a C-28 MEM ester moiety, and 22, with a C-28 ethyl hexanoate, increased the anti- HIV replication activity compared with 2 by 2-fold while compounds 40, 41, 48, and 49, with C-28 piperazine or piperidine amide substitutions, increased the activity by 3-to 15-fold. ...