Potent and selective inhibitors of hepatitis C virus

1. A compound having the formula:

wherein:

R 3 is

each m is independently 0, 1, or 2;

n is 0, 1, 2, or 3,

each s is independently 0, 1, 2, or 3;

each X is independently selected from the group consisting of O, S, S(O), SO 2 , CH 2 , CHR 5 , and C(R 5 ) 2 ; provided that when m is 0, X is selected from the group consisting of CH 2 , CHR 5 , and C(R 5 ) 2 ;

each R 5 is independently selected from the group consisting of 5-membered heteroaryl, halo substituted 5-membered heteroaryl, thioalkyl, thioaryl, SCH 3 , SCF 3 , sulfoxide alkyl, sulfoxide aryl, S(O)CH 3 , S(O)CF 3 , sulfone alkyl, sulfone aryl, S(O) 2 CH 3 , S(O) 2 CF 3 , haloalkyl, CF 3 , N 3 , and CN, with the proviso that —C(R 5 ) 2 can be —C(O),

each R′ is is independently H, C 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 haloalkyl, C 1-6 alkoxy, C 2-6 alkenyl, C 2-6 alkenyl, C 3-6 cycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkylaryl, arylalkyl, or if two R′ reside on the same nitrogen atom, they can come together to form a C 3-6 alkyl ring containing none or one heteroatom independently selected from the group consisting of N, O, and S; wherein the R′ groups can be substituted with one or more hydroxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, and alkoxyalkyl substituents,

with the proviso that C(R 5 ) 2 cannot be C(alkoxy) 2 , C(OH) 2 , C(alkoxy)(OH), or C(halo)(OH), and with the further proviso that C(R 5 ) 2 can also be C(═O),

each R 6 is independently selected from the group consisting of —C(O)—, —C(S)— and —C(NR z )—;

each R 10 and R 11 are independently selected from the group consisting of H, alkylcarboxy amino, alkoxyalkyl, alkoxycarbonyl, alkoxycarbonylalkyl, alkyl, alkylcarbonyl, alkylcarbonylalkyl, alkylamino, alkylguanasyl, alkylaryl, aryl, arylalkenyl, arylalkoxy, arylalkyl, aryloxyalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloakylamino, (cycloalkyl)alkenyl, (cycloalkyl)alkyl, cycloalkyloxyalkyl, haloalkyl, alkylheterocyclyl, heterocyclyl, heterocyclylalkenyl, heterocyclylalkoxy, heterocyclylalkyl, heterocyclyloxyalkyl, and hydroxyalkyl, wherein the groups can be substituted with one or more hydroxyaryl, aminoalkyl, and alkoxyalkyl substituents;

each R 12 and R 16 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, R 13 —C(O)—, R 13 —C(S)—, and R′; Each R′ is as defined above;

each R 13 is independently selected from the group consisting of alkoxy, alkoxyalkyl, alkoxycarbonyl, alkoxycarbonylalkyl, alkyl, alkylcarbonylalkyl, aryl, arylalkenyl, arylalkoxy, arylalkyl, aryloxyalkyl, cycloalkyl, (cycloalkyl)alkenyl, (cycloalkyl)alkyl, cycloalkyloxyalkyl, haloalkyl, heterocyclyl, heterocyclylalkenyl, heterocyclylalkoxy, heterocyclylalkyl, heterocyclyloxyalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, and —N(R′) 2 , wherein each R′ is as defined above;

R 14 and R 14′ are independently selected from the group consisting of halogen CF 3 , hydroxy, C 1-6 alkoxy, aryl, 5-membered heteroaryl, lower C 1-6 alkyl or halo substituted aryl, aryl or halo substituted 5-membered heteroaryl, cyano, C 2-6 alkynyl alkoxyalkyl, alkoxycarbonylalkyl, alkyl, arylalkoxycarbonyl, carboxy, haloalkyl, heterocyclylalkyl, hydroxyalkyl; and

R 15 and R 15′ are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 2-6 alkoxy C 3-6 alkoxyalkyl alkoxycarbonyl, carbonylalkyl, carbonyl aryl, alkyl, heterocyclylalkyl, and C 2-6 hydroxyalkyl,

and pharmaceutically acceptable salts and prodrugs thereof,

Z is selected from the group consisting of C 1-6 alkyl, alkenyl, heterocyclyl, aryl, heteroaryl, halo, —OR′, —NR′R″, —CF 3 , —CN, —NO 2 , —C 2 R′, —SR′, —N 3 , —C(═O)NR′R″, —NR′C(═O) R″, —C(═O)R′, —C(═O)OR′, —OC(═O)R′, —OC(═O)NR′R″, —NR′C(═O)O R″, —SO 2 R′, —SO 2 NR′R″, and —NR′SO 2 R″, where R′ and R″ are individually hydrogen, C 1-6 alkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, aryl, or arylalkyl, and

j is an integer of from 0 to 3,

wherein the compounds can be in the form of the R- or S-configuration, or a mixture thereof,

with the proviso that at least one of R 14 and R 14′ is halogen.

2. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of claim 1 , and a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier or excipient.

3. The composition of claim 2 , further comprising one, two, or three additional compounds having anti-HCV activity.

4. A method for treating a host infected with HCV, or for reducing the biological activity of an infection with HCV, comprising administering an effective amount of a compound of claim 1 to a patient in need of treatment thereof.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the compound is administered in combination with one, two, or three other anti-HCV agent(s).