By virtual screening, compound 1 was found to be active against NS2B-NS3 protease (IC50= 13.12±1.03 μM). Fourteen derivatives (22) of compound 1 were synthesized, leading to the discovery of four new inhibitors with biological activity. In order to expand the chemical diversity of the inhibitors, small-molecule-based scaffold hopping was performed on the basis of the common scaffold of compounds 1 and 22. Twenty-one new compounds (23, ...
