Treatment and prevention of dengue virus infections

1. A method for the treatment of a Dengue virus infection, comprising administering in a therapeutically effective amount to a mammal in need thereof, a compound of Formula I below or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof:

wherein X is S;

Ar is substituted or unsubstituted aryl or heteroaryl; and

A, B, D, and E are independently N or C—R 1 , C—R 2 , C—R 3 and C—R 4 , respectively, wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, arylalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, hydroxy, alkyloxy, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy, acyloxy, arylacyloxy, heteroarylacyloxy, alkylsulfonyloxy, arylsulfonyloxy, thio, alkylthio, arylthio, amino, alkylamino, dialkylamino, cycloalkylamino, heterocycloalkylamino, arylamino, heteroarylamino, acylamino, arylacylamino, heteroarylacylamino, alkylsulfonylamino, arylsulfonylamino, acyl, arylacyl, heteroarylacyl, alkylsulfinyl, arylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, aminosulfonyl, substituted aminosulfonyl, carboxy, alkoxycarbonyl, cycloalkyloxycarbonyl, aryloxycarbonyl, carbamoyl, substituted carbamoyl, halogen, cyano, isocyano and nitro; or R 1 and R 2 together with the carbons they are attached to may form a substituted or unsubstituted ring, or R 2 and R 3 or R 3 and R 4 together with the carbons they are attached to may form a substituted or unsubstituted ring, which may be aromatic or nonaromatic and may include one or more heteroatoms in the ring and may be fused with an aromatic or aliphatic ring.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein Ar is a substituted aryl.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of A, B, D and E is C—H.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of A, B and E is C—H and D is C—CH 3 .

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compound of Formula I is selected from the group consisting of: N-(4-Benzothiazol-2-yl-3-hydroxy-phenyl)-4-methoxy-benzamide; 2,3-Dihydro-benzo[1,4]dioxine-6-carboxylic acid (4-benzothiazol-2-yl-phenyl)-amide; 2,4-Dimethoxy-N-[4-(6-methyl-benzothiazol-2-yl)-phenyl]-benzamide; N-(3-Benzothiazol-2-yl-phenyl)-2-methoxy-benz amide; N-(4-Benzothiazol-2-yl-3-chloro-phenyl)-3,4-dimethoxy-benzamide; N-(4-Benzothiazol-2-yl-3-chloro-phenyl)-4-methoxy-benzamide; 4-Dimethylamino-N-[4-(6-methyl-benzothiazol-2-yl)-phenyl]-benzamide; 4-Methyl-N-[4-(6-methyl-benzothiazol-2-yl)-phenyl]-phthalamic acid; N-[4-(6-Methyl-benzothiazol-2-yl)-phenyl]-3-(4-methyl-piperazine-1-sulfonyl)-benzamide; N-(4-Benzothiazol-2-yl-phenyl)-2-dimethylamino-benzamide; and N-(4-Benzothiazol-2-yl-3-chloro-phenyl)-2-methoxy-benzamide.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the compound of Formula I is 2,4-Dimethoxy-N-[4-(6-methyl-benzothiazol-2-yl)-phenyl]-benzamide.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mammal is a human.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said Dengue virus is selected from the group consisting of DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, and DEN-4.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said viral infection is associated with Dengue fever.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said Dengue fever is selected from the group consisting of classical dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever syndrome, and dengue shock syndrome.

11. The method of claim 1 , which further comprises co-administration of at least one agent selected from the group consisting of antiviral agent, vaccine, and interferon.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said antiviral agent is Ribavirin.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein said antiviral agent is cidofovir.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein said interferon is pegylated.