Thrombin inhibitors

1. A compound of the general formula,

wherein

u is CH or N;

Q is

1) —N(R 25 )CH(R 30 )—

wherein

the nitrogen atom is attached to R 1 , and

R 25 and R 30 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 3-6 cycloalkyl, and C 1-6 alkyl, or

wherein

the nitrogen atom is attached to R 1 , and

m is 0, 1, or 2;

R 1 is selected from the group consisting of

wherein

R 4 and R 5 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, C 14 alkoxy, C 1 alkyl, —OH, and cyano, and

X is a bond, O, CH 2 , S or NH,

wherein

R 6 is selected from the group consisting of

a) hydrogen,

b) —OH, and

c) —NR 19 R 20 , where R 19 and R 20 are independently selected from the group consisting of

1) hydrogen, and

2) C 1-6 alkyl, unsubstituted or substituted with one or more of —OH, —COOH, C 3-7 cycloalkyl, or COOR 17 , where R 17 is C 1-4 alkyl,

3) C 3-7 cycloalkyl,

4) C(O)OR 18 ,

5) C(O)R 18 ,

6) C(O)NHR 18 ,

7) SO 2 R 18 ,

8) C(O)NH 2 , and

9) CN,

 wherein R 18 is selected from the group consisting of C 1-4 alkyl, aryl, and C 3-7 cycloalkyl, and

R 7 and R 8 are independently selected from the group consisting of

a) hydrogen,

b) —CF 3 ,

c) unsubstituted C 1-6 alkyl,

d) a ring slected from the group consisting of

wherein R 91 and R 99 are independently selected from the group consisting of

 1) hydrogen,

 2) halogen,

 3) C 1-4 alkoxy,

 4) C 1-4 alkyl,

 5) hydroxy,

 6) CF 3 , and

 7) cyano,

e) C 3-6 cycloalkyl,

f) C 1-6 alkyl substituted with one of the group consisting of

1) C 3-6 cycloalkyl,

2) —COOH,

3) —OH,

 wherein R 9 and R 10 are independently selected from the group consisting of

 aa) hydrogen,

 bb) halogen,

 cc) C 1-4 alkoxy,

 dd) C 1-4 alkyl,

 ee) hydroxy,

 ff) CF 3 and

 gg) cyano, and

wherein

y is 0, 1 or 2, and

R 35 and R 40 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C 1-6 alkyl;

R 2 is selected from the group consisting of

1) hydrogen,

2) halogen,

3) C 1-4 alkyl,

4) C 3-7 cycloalkyl,

5) CF 3 ,

6) OCF 3 ,

7) C 1-4 alkoxy, and

8) cyano; and

R 12 is

1) a 5-membered heteroaryl ring having 2, 3, or 4 heteroatoms, provided that at least 2 heteroatoms are N, and at most 1 of the heteroatoms is S or O, said ring being unsubstituted or substituted, at any one ring atom, with C 1-6 alkyl or halogen, or

2) a 6-membered heteroaryl ring with 1–2 nitrogen atoms, said ring being unsubstituted or substituted with with C 1-6 alkyl or halogen,

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

2. A compound of claim 1 , or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein

Q is selected from the group consisting of

 where the nitrogen atom is attached to R 1 ;

X is a bond;

R 2 is hydrogen, Cl or F;

y is 1 or 2.

3. A compound of claim 2 , or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein

R 12 is independently selected from the group consisting of

4. A compound of claim 3 , or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein

R 1 is selected from the group consisting of

5. A compound of claim 4 , or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, selected from the group consisting of

6. A composition for inhibiting thrombus formation in blood comprising a compound of claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

7. A method for inhibiting thrombus formation in a patient comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of claim 5 .

8. A method for inhibiting formation of blood platelet aggregates in a pateient comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of claim 1 .

9. A method for inhibiting thrombus formation in a pateient comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of claim 1 .