Conformationally constrained molecular frameworks of the 2,5-anhydro sugar diacid (9) and 2,5anhydro sugar diamines (10, 11) were used to construct architecturally beautiful novel C 2 symmetric peptidomimetics 1-8. Although none of these compounds showed any significant HIV-1 protease inhibitory activity, further refinements in design may lead to protease inhibitors based on these rigid carbohydrate-derived scaffolds. Among the several specific targets in the cell cycle of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virally encoded homodimeric HIV-1 protease, which is an aspartyl protease required for maturation of the infectious virion, has emerged as a promising target leading to the design and evaluation of a vast array of compounds with diverse structural motifs as possible inhibitors, some of which have already been approved for the treatment of AIDS. 1-6 We describe herein the development of a new class of compounds 1-8 as potential HIV-1 protease inhibitors that are based on carbohydrate-peptide hybrid structures. In this approach, identical peptide chains are anchored on both sides of a core carbohydrate motifa C 2 symmetric 2,5-anhydro sugar diacid or sugar diamine-leading to the formation of C 2 symmetric peptidomimetics. 7 Carbohydrate-based molecular designs are increasingly drawing chemists' attention. 8,9 Detailed studies on the development of new HIV-1 protease inhibitors based on acyclic carbohydrates have recently been reported. 10-12 It is also being increasingly felt that small molecule protease inhibitors need to have restricted degrees of freedom. The success of cyclic urea based inhibitors supports this feeling. 13,14 This has prompted us to look for cyclic carbohydrate based core foundations as conformationally rigid scaffolds to build a new class of molecular frameworks as potential protease inhibitors. Two different types of cyclic carbohydrate framework-sugar diacid and sugar diamine-are employed in our designs. These molecules are 2,5-anhydro-D-idaric acid (9), 1,6diamino-2,5-anhydro-1,6-dideoxy-D-iditol (10) and 1,6-diamino-2,5-anhydro-1,6-dideoxy-Correspondence to: T. K. Chakraborty.