Aromatic amidines: comparison of their ability to block respiratory syncytial virus induced cell fusion and to inhibit plasmin, urokinase, thrombin, and trypsin.

Two series of amidine derivatives consisting of a total of 24 compounds were examined for a correlation between their blocking effect on respiratory syncytial virus induced cell fusion and their inhibitory activity against selected trypsin-like protease. Although no correlation was evident between the two activities, several potentially important discoveries were made. A highly selective inhibitor of plasmin over thrombin (compound 10) was obtained, and a potent new blocker of virus-induced cell fusion (compound 22) was identified.