Nonpeptide HIV protease inhibitors

Design & Synthesis of Nonpeptide Protease Inhibitors

NIH-funded research Purdue University · NIH-11330250

Developing new nonpeptide drugs that block HIV protease to help people living with HIV, including those with drug-resistant virus and brain-related complications.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionPurdue University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (West Lafayette, United States)
Project IDNIH-11330250 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

Researchers are designing and chemically making a new class of nonpeptide protease inhibitors aimed at treating HIV. The team will test these compounds in lab models relevant to HIV, optimize them for longer action and better penetration into the brain, and check activity against drug-resistant HIV strains. Work is highly collaborative across medicinal chemistry and biological testing groups to move promising molecules toward future preclinical and clinical steps.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: People living with HIV—especially those with protease inhibitor resistance or with HIV-related neurocognitive symptoms—are the likely future candidates for therapies developed from this research.

Not a fit: People without HIV or those stably suppressed on current first-line therapy may not see direct benefit from this early-stage drug development work.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could produce HIV medicines that work against resistant virus strains, last longer between doses, and better protect the brain from HIV-related damage.

How similar studies have performed: Existing protease inhibitors have been effective in cART but resistance and toxicity remain, and while protease inhibitor development has a track record, nonpeptide designs with improved brain penetration are more experimental.

Where this research is happening

West Lafayette, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Acquired Immune Deficiency SyndromeAcquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome VirusAcquired Immunodeficiency SyndromeAcquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Virus
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.