Introduction of a cyano group at the 2-position of an (R,S)-3-hydroxy-2-(phosphonomethoxy)propyl (HPMP) derivative of thymine elicits selective anti-HBV activity.

The substantial impact of acyclic nucleoside phosphonates (ANPs) on human medicine encourages the synthesis of new ANP analogues with a potentially differentiated antiviral spectrum. Herein, we demonstrate the functionalization of the 2-position of the (R,S)-3-hydroxy-2-(phosphonomethoxy)propyl side-chain of an inactive ANP with a polar cyano group to generate a thymine analogue with selective inhibition of hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication (SI > 302; EC50 = 0.33 μM), without significant antiretroviral activity. These findings suggest new strategies to synthesize unique ANPs with a targeted antiviral profile.