Novel alphavbeta3 antagonists based on the N-aryl-gamma-lactam scaffold were prepared. SAR studies led to the identification of potent antagonists for alphavbeta3 receptor with excellent selectivity against the structurally related alpha(IIb)beta3 receptor. Additional interactions of N-aryl-gamma-lactam derivatives with alphavbeta3 were found when compared to c(-RGDf[NMe]V-) peptide antagonist. The effects of the conformation and configuration of the gamma-lactam core on the binding were also assessed.