A series of 2,4-disubstituted pyridine derivatives has been designed, synthesised and evaluated as thrombin inhibitors. A Grignard exchange reaction was used to introduce various benzoyl substituents in position 4 of the pyridine ring, where they serve as P3 residues in binding to thrombin. In position 2 of the pyridine ring, a para-amidinobenzylamine moiety was incorporated as P1 residue by an SNAr