Activity of a novel quinoxaline derivative against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase and viral replication.

S-2720 [6-chloro-3,3-dimethyl-4-(isopropenyloxycarbonyl)-3,4- dihydroquinoxalin-2(1H)-thione], a quinoxaline derivative, was found to be a very potent inhibitor of both human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase (HIV-1 RT) activity and HIV-1 replication in tissue culture. Like other nonnucleoside RT inhibitors, S-2720 does not affect the HIV-2 RT. A S-2720-resistant virus was selected and shown to possess a mutation within the RT-coding region that has not previously been described. Notably, this mutation gives rise to a dramatic decrease in enzyme activity. S-2720, therefore, belongs to a new class of RT inhibitors that bind differently to the RT than other known nonnucleoside RT inhibitors. As no toxic effects were observed with S-2720 in mice, these quinoxaline derivatives deserve further evaluation to prove their potency as possible therapeutic agents for HIV-1 infection.