A new aspartic protease inhibitory chemotype bearing a2-amino-3,4-dihydroquinazoline ring was identified by high-throughputscreening for the inhibition of BACE-1. X-ray crystallography revealedthat the exocyclic amino group participated in a hydrogen bonding arraywith the two catalytic aspartic acids of BACE-1 (Asp
32, Asp
228).BACE-1 inhibitory potency was increased (0.9
M to 11 nM
Ki) bysubstitution into the unoccupied S
1' pocket.