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Details

Stereochemistry ABSOLUTE
Molecular Formula C38H50N6O5
Molecular Weight 670.8408
Optical Activity UNSPECIFIED
Defined Stereocenters 6 / 6
E/Z Centers 0
Charge 0

SHOW SMILES / InChI
Structure of SAQUINAVIR

SMILES

CC(C)(C)NC(=O)[C@@H]1C[C@@H]2CCCC[C@@H]2CN1C[C@@H](O)[C@H](CC3=CC=CC=C3)NC(=O)[C@H](CC(N)=O)NC(=O)C4=CC=C5C=CC=CC5=N4

InChI

InChIKey=QWAXKHKRTORLEM-UGJKXSETSA-N
InChI=1S/C38H50N6O5/c1-38(2,3)43-37(49)32-20-26-14-7-8-15-27(26)22-44(32)23-33(45)30(19-24-11-5-4-6-12-24)41-36(48)31(21-34(39)46)42-35(47)29-18-17-25-13-9-10-16-28(25)40-29/h4-6,9-13,16-18,26-27,30-33,45H,7-8,14-15,19-23H2,1-3H3,(H2,39,46)(H,41,48)(H,42,47)(H,43,49)/t26-,27+,30-,31-,32-,33+/m0/s1

HIDE SMILES / InChI

Description

Saquinavir (brand names Invirase and Fortovase) is an antiretroviral drug used together with other medications to treat or prevent HIV/AIDS. Saquinavir is an inhibitor of HIV protease. HIV protease is an enzyme required for the proteolytic cleavage of viral polyprotein precursors into individual functional proteins found in infectious HIV. Saquinavir is a peptide-like substrate analog that binds to the protease active site and inhibits the activity of the enzyme. Saquinavir inhibition prevents cleavage of the viral polyproteins resulting in the formation of immature noninfectious virus particles. The most frequent adverse events with saquinavir in either formulation are mild gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea, nausea, loose stools & abdominal discomfort. Invirase is better tolerated than Fortovase.

CNS Activity

Originator

Approval Year

Targets

Primary TargetPharmacologyConditionPotency
0.5 nM [IC50]
0.4 nM [IC50]
0.4 nM [IC50]

Conditions

ConditionModalityTargetsHighest PhaseProduct
Primary
FORTOVASE

AUC

ValueDoseCo-administeredAnalytePopulation
21747 ng × h/mL
1200 mg 3 times / day steady-state, oral
SAQUINAVIR plasma
Homo sapiens

Doses

AEs

Drug as perpetrator​

Drug as victim

Tox targets

PubMed

Sample Use Guides

In Vivo Use Guide
1000 mg (with ritonavir 100 mg) PO q12hr, or in combination with ritonavir-enhanced lopinavir Treatment-naïve patients: Initial dose: 500 mg PO BID plus ritonavir 100 mg BID x 7 days, THEN increase to 1000mg/100mg PO BID
Route of Administration: Oral
In Vitro Use Guide
In vitro antiviral activity of saquinavir was assessed in lymphoblastoid and monocytic cell lines and in peripheral blood lymphocytes. Saquinavir inhibited HIV activity in both acutely and chronically infected cells. IC50 and IC90 values (50% and 90% inhibitory concentrations) were in the range of 1 to 30 nM and 5 to 80 nM, respectively. In the presence of 40% human serum, the mean IC50 of saquinavir against laboratory strain HIV-1 RF in MT4 cells was 37.7± 5nM representing a 4-fold increase in the IC50 value. In cell culture, saquinavir demonstrated additive to synergistic effects against HIV-1 in combination with reverse transcriptase inhibitors (didanosine, lamivudine, nevirapine, stavudine, zalcitabine and zidovudine) without enhanced cytotoxicity. Saquinavir in combination with the protease inhibitors amprenavir, atazanavir, or lopinavir resulted in synergistic antiviral activity. Saquinavir displayed antiviral activity in vitro against HIV-1 clades A-H (IC50 ranged from 0.9 to 2.5 nM). The IC50 and IC90 values of saquinavir against HIV-2 isolates in vitro ranged from 0.25 nM to 14.6 nM and 4.65 nM to 28.6 nM respectively.