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, with the proviso that at least one s is 1;

each X is, independently, O, S, S(O), SO 2 , CH 2 , CHR 5 , or C(R 5 ) 2 ; provided that when m is 0, X is CH 2 , CHR 5 , or C(R 5 ) 2 ;

each R 5 is independently selected from the group consisting of thioalkyl, thioaryl, SCF 3 , sulfoxide alkyl, sulfoxide aryl, S(O)CH 3 , S(O)CF 3 , sulfone alkyl, sulfone aryl, S(O) 2 CH 3 , and S(O) 2 CF 3 with the proviso that —C(R 5 ) 2 can be —C(O),

each R′ is, independently, H, a C 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 haloalkyl, C 1-6 alkoxy, C 2-6 alkenyl, C 2-6 alkynyl, 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 can also be C(═O),

each R 6 is, independently, —C(O)—, —C(S)— or —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, or alkoxyalkyl substituents;

each R 12 and R 16 are independently hydrogen, R 13 —C(O)—, R 13 —C(S)—, or R′; each R′ is as defined above;

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

R 14 and R 14′ are, independently, H, halogen, hydroxy, C 1-6 alkoxy, aryl, 5-membered heteroaryl, C 1-6 alkyl or halo substituted aryl, aryl or halo substituted 5-membered heteroaryl, cyano, C 2-6 alkynyl, C 3-6 alkoxyalkyl, alkoxycarbonylalkyl, heterocyclylalkyl, or hydroxyalkyl; and

R 15 and R 15′ are, independently, hydrogen, C 2-6 alkoxy, C 3-6 alkoxyalkyl, alkoxycarbonyl, carbonylalkyl, carbonyl aryl, C 1-6 alkyl, heterocyclylalkyl, or C 2-6 hydroxyalkyl,

Z is 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″, or —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,

and pharmaceutically acceptable salts and prodrugs thereof,

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

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 of claim 1 is administered in combination with one, two, or three other anti-HCV agent(s).

6. A compound having the formula:

wherein:

R 3 is

each m is independently 0, 1, or 2;

each s is independently 0, 1, 2, or 3, with the proviso that at least one s is 1;

each X is, independently, O, S, S(O), SO 2 , CH 2 , CHR 5 , or C(R 5 ) 2 ; provided that when m is 0, X is CH 2 , CHR 5 , or C(R 5 ) 2 ;

each R 5 is independently selected from the group consisting of 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 , and S(O) 2 CF 3 with the proviso that —C(R 5 ) 2 can be —C(O),

each R′ is, independently, H, a C 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 haloalkyl, C 1-6 alkoxy, C 2-6 alkenyl, C 2-6 alkynyl, 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, —C(O)—, —C(S)— or —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, hydrogen, R 13 —C(O)—, R 13 —C(S)—, or 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, H, halogen, CF 3 , hydroxy, C 1-6 alkoxy, aryl, 5-membered heteroaryl, C 1-6 alkyl or halo substituted aryl, aryl or halo substituted 5-membered heteroaryl, cyano, C 2-6 alkynyl, C 3-6 alkoxyalkyl, alkoxycarbonylalkyl, heterocyclylalkyl, or hydroxyalkyl;

R 15 and R 15′ are, independently, hydrogen, C 2-6 alkoxy, C 3-6 alkoxyalkyl, alkoxycarbonyl, carbonylalkyl, carbonyl aryl, C 1-6 alkyl, heterocyclylalkyl, or C 2-6 hydroxyalkyl,

and pharmaceutically acceptable salts and prodrugs thereof,

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

7. The compound of claim 6 , wherein R 14 and R 14′ are, independently, H or halogen.

8. A composition comprising a compound of claim 6 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or prodrug thereof, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

9. The composition of claim 8 , further comprising one, two, or three additional compounds having anti-HCV activity.

10. 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 6 to a patient in need of treatment thereof.