Substituted diphenyl heterocycles useful for treating HCV infection

1. An intermediate compound useful for synthesizing substituted diphenyl heterocycle compounds, said intermediate compound having a structure defined by structural formula (II):

including the pharmaceutically acceptable salts, hydrates, solvates, N-oxides and prodrugs thereof, wherein:

X and Y are each, independently of one another, N or O , provided that X and Y are not both O and are not both N;

Z is —CH;

R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10 and R 13 are each, independently of one another, selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, —OH, —SH, —CN, —NO 2 , halo, fluoro, chloro, bromo, iodo, lower alkyl, substituted lower alkyl, lower heteroalkyl, substituted lower heteroalkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, lower haloalkyl, monohalomethyl, dihalomethyl, trihalomethyl, trifluoromethyl, lower alkylthio, substituted lower alkylthio, lower alkoxy, substituted lower alkoxy, methoxy, substituted methoxy, lower heteroalkoxy, substituted lower heteroalkoxy, cycloalkoxy, substituted cycloalkoxy, lower haloalkoxy, monohalomethoxy, dihalomethoxy, trihalomethoxy, trifluoromethoxy, amino, lower di- or monoalkylamino, substituted lower di- or monoalkylamino, aryl, substituted aryl, aryloxy, substituted aryloxy, phenoxy, substituted phenoxy, arylalkyl, substituted arylalkyl, arylalkyloxy, substituted arylalkyloxy, benzyl, benzyloxy, carboxyl, lower alkoxycarbonyl, substituted lower alkoxycarbonyl, aryloxycarbonyl, substituted aryloxycarbonyl, arylalkyloxycarbonyl, substituted arylalkyloxycarbonyl, carbamate, substituted carbamate, carbamoyl, substituted carbamoyl, sulfamoyl, substituted sulfamoyl and a group of the formula -L-R 4 , where “L” is a linker and R 14 is cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, provided that at least one of R 2 or R 6 is other than hydrogen;

R 6 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, —OH, —SR, —CN, —NO 2 halo, fluoro, chloro, bromo, iodo, lower alkyl, substituted lower alkyl, lower heteroalkyl, substituted lower heteroalkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, cycloheteroalkyl, substituted cycloheteroalkyl, lower haloalkyl, monohalomethyl, dihalomethyl, trihalomethyl, trifluoromethyl, lower alkylthio, substituted lower alkylthio, lower alkoxy, substituted lower alkoxy, methoxy, substituted methoxy, lower heteroalkoxy, substituted lower heteroalkoxy, cycloalkoxy, substituted cycloalkoxy, cycloheteroalkoxy, substituted cycloheteroalkoxy, lower haloalkoxy, monohalomethoxy, dihalomethoxy, trihalomethoxy, trifluoromethoxy, amino, lower di- or monoalkylamino, substituted lower di- or monoalkylamino, aryl, substituted and, aryloxy, substituted aryloxy, phenoxy, substituted phenoxy, arylalkyl, substituted arylalkyl, arylalkyloxy, substituted arylalkyloxy, benzyl, benzyloxy, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, heteroaryloxy, substituted heteroaryloxy, heteroarylalkyl, substituted heteroarylalkyl, heteroarylalkyloxy, substituted heteroarylalkyloxy, carboxyl, lower alkoxycarbonyl, substituted lower alkoxycarbonyl, aryloxycarbonyl, substituted aryloxycarbonyl, arylalkyloxycarbonyl, substituted arylalkyloxycarbonyl, carbamate, substituted carbamate, carbamoyl, substituted carbamoyl, sulfamoyl, substituted sulfamoyl and a group of the formula -L-R 14′ , where “L” is a linker and R 14′ is cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, cycloheteroalkyl or substituted cycloheteroalkyl; and

R 15 is NO 2 or NHR, where R is hydrogen, lower alkyl or a protecting group, or a protected analog of the compound of structural formula (II).

2. The compound of claim 1 in which X is O and Y is N.

3. The compound of claim 1 in which X is N and Y is O.

4. The compound of any one of claims 1 , and 2 – 3 in which R 8 , R 9 , R 10 and R 13 are each hydrogen.

5. The compound of any one of claims 1 , and 2 – 3 in which R 3 and R 5 are each hydrogen.

6. The compound of claim 5 in which R 4 is -L-R 14 .

7. The compound of claim 6 in which L is —O—(CH 2 ) 1-3 .

8. The compound of any one of claims 1 , and 2 – 3 in which R 3 , R 4 and R 5 are each hydrogen.

9. The compound of claim 8 in which R 6 is selected from the group consisting of —OH, —NO 2 , halo, fluoro, chloro, bromo, iodo, lower alkyl, methyl, lower heteroalkyl, (C3–C6) cycloalkyl, 5- or 6-membered cycloheteroalkyl, N-morpholinyl, N-methyl-N-piperazinyl, N-piperadinyl, substituted N-piperadinyl, 4-(N-piperadinyl)-N-piperadinyl, 4-amino-N-piperadinyl, lower alkoxy, methoxy, ethoxy, lower alkylthio, methylthio, lower haloalkyl, monohalomethyl, dihalomethyl, trihalomethyl, trifluoromethyl, lower haloalkyloxy, monohalomethoxy, dihalomethoxy, trihalomethoxy, trifluoromethoxy, aryl, phenyl, arylalkyl, benzyl, aryloxy, phenoxy, arylalkyloxy, benzyloxy, 5- or 6-membered heteroaryl, lower alkyloxycarbonyl, sulfamoyl and -L-R 14′ , where L is —(CH 2 ) 1-3 — or —O—(CH 2 ) 1-3 — and R 14′ is a 5- or 6-membered cycloheteroalkyl or N-morpholinyl.

10. The compound of claim 1 in which R 2 is selected from the group consisting of Cl, F, Me, —CF 3 , —OCHF 2 , I, Br, —OEt, -iPr, —OCF 3 , —C(O)OMe, —O-iPr, Ph,

and COOH;

R 3 is selected from the group consisting of H, Cl, Me, —C(O)OMe, and COOH;

R 4 is selected from the group consisting of H, Cl, —N(Me 2 , Me and;

R 5 is selected from the group consisting of H, Me, Cl, F and —CF 3 ;

R 6 is selected from the group consisting of H, Cl,

 —SMe,

 F, Me,

OH, iPr, —OMe,

R 8 is selected from the group consisting of F, H, Me, and —OMe;

R 9 is H;

R 10 is selected from the group consisting of H, F, and —OMe; and

R 13 is selected from the group consisting of H and Me.

11. The compound of claim 10 in which the heterocyclic “B” ring is a isoxazole analog or regioisomer thereof.

12. A composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle and a compound according to claim 1 .

13. The composition of claim 12 which is a liposome suspension.

14. The composition of claim 13 which comprises from about 0.5–30 mg/ml of the compound and about 100–200 mg/ml of a phospholipid in water.

15. The composition of claim 14 which further includes about 5 mg/ml of cholesterol.