The discovery of a new organic nitrate: an overview

Organic nitrates have been in therapeutic use for the treatment of angina pectoris for over a century. During the past decade, the search for new organic nitro esters with reduced side effects and improved oral bioavailability has been greatly intensified. We have discovered a new class of organic nitrates characterized by good oral activity and a coronary vascular selectivity greater than that of glyceryl trinitrate. Full structure-activity relationship studies of this new class of nitroesters are reported. From the screening of these compounds, ITF 296 was chosen for further evaluation.