Table 1.

Bacillus anthracis helicase inhibition by benzobisthiazole compounds 1–33.

Compd.	R	IC50 Ba Helicase (μM)
1	3-N[-(C=O)CH2CH2(C=O)-]	5.0
2	4-N(CH2CH3)2	>100
3	4-tBu	>100
4	4-OPh	>100
5	4-OiPr	>100
6	4-SO2N(CH2CH3)2	>100
7	4-CH3	7.6
8	4-CN	11.0
9	4-OCH2CH3	6.9
10	4-Cl	5.0
11	4-COOCH3	3.7
12	4-N(CH3)2	2.4
13	4-OCH3	2.2
14	4-N[-(C=O)CH2CH2(C=O)-]	1.3
15	3-N(CH3)2	36.0
16	3-OCH3	12.5
17	3-Cl	5.3
18	3-F	3.3
19	3-NO2	2.8
20	3-Br	2.3
21	2-OPh	>100
22	2-Cl	>100
23	2-Br	>100
24	2-F	~50
25	2-CH3	6.6
26	2,4-(OCH3)2	>100
27	2,6-(OCH3)2	>100
28	2,6-F2	64.5
29	3,4-(CH3)2	3.2
30	3,4-(OCH2CH2O)	3.0
31	3,4-(OCH3)2	2.1
32	3,5-(OCH3)2	1.7
33	3,4,5-(OCH3)3	0.7