A novel series of pyrrolidine-1,2-dicarboxamides was discovered as factor Xa inhibitors using structure-based drug design. This series consisted of a neutral 4-chlorophenylurea P1, a biphenylsulfonamide P4 and a D-proline scaffold (1, IC(50) = 18 nM). Optimization of the initial hit resulted in an orally bioavailable, subnanomolar inhibitor of factor Xa (13, IC(50) = 0.38 nM), which was shown to be efficacious in a canine electrolytic model of thrombosis with minimal bleeding.