Antiviral agents

1. A compound represented by the formula (I):

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, ester or prodrug thereof,

wherein:

Ring A and ring B are each independently selected from:

a) Phenyl;

b) Substituted phenyl;

c) Six membered heteroaryl containing one, two or three nitrogen atoms; and

d) Substituted six membered heteroaryl containing one, two or three nitrogen atoms;

R 1 and R 2 are each independently selected from:

a) Hydrogen;

b) Deuterium;

c) Halogen;

d) R 11 , where is selected from:

1) C 1 -C 12 alkyl;

2) Substituted C 1 -C 12 alkyl;

3) C 2 -C 12 alkenyl;

4) Substituted C 2 -C 12 alkenyl;

5) C 2 -C 12 alkynyl;

6) Substituted C 2 -C 12 alkynyl;

7) C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl;

8) Substituted C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl;

9) Aryl;

10) Substituted aryl;

11) Heterocycloalkyl;

12) Substituted heterocycloalkyl;

13) Heteroaryl; or

14) Substituted heteroaryl;

e) —C(O)OR 12 , where R 12 is selected from hydrogen or R 11 where R 11 as previously defined;

f) —C(O)R 12 , where R 12 is as previously defined;

g) —C(O)N(R 13 )(R 14 ), where R 13 and R 14 are independently selected from R 12 and R 12 is as previously defined or R 13 and R 14 combined together with the N which attached to is substituted or unsubstituted heterocycloalkyl;

h) —C(O)SR 12 , where R 12 is as previously defined;

i) —C(S)O R 12 , where R 12 is as previously defined;

j) —C(S)S R 12 , where R 12 is as previously defined;

k) —OR 12 , where R 12 is as previously defined;

l) —SR 12 , where R 12 is as previously defined; and

m) —NR 13 R 14 , where R 13 and R 14 are as previously defined;

R 3 , R 4 , R 5 and R 6 are each independently selected from:

a) Hydrogen;

b) Deuterium;

c) C 1 -C 12 alkyl;

d) Substituted C 1 -C 12 alkyl;

e) C 2 -C 12 alkenyl;

f) Substituted C 2 -C 12 alkenyl;

g) C 2 -C 12 alkynyl;

h) Substituted C 2 -C 12 alkynyl;

i) C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl;

j) Substituted C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl;

k) Aryl;

l) Substituted aryl;

m) Heterocycloalkyl;

n) Substituted heterocycloalkyl;

o) Heteroaryl; and

p) Substituted heteroaryl;

or

R 3 and R 5 , together with the nitrogen atom and the carbon atom to which they are attached, and/or R 4 and R 6 , together with the nitrogen atom and the carbon atom to which they are attached independently form a substituted or unsubstituted heterocycloalkyl;

R a and R b are independently selected from:

a) Hydrogen;

b) R 11 ;

c) —C(O)O—R 11 , where R 11 is as previously defined;

d) —C(O)NHR 11 , where R 11 is as previously defined;

or R a and R b , together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, form a substituted or unsubstituted heterocycloalkyl;

R 7 is selected from:

a) R 11 , where R 11 is as previously defined;

b) —OR 11 , where R 11 is as previously defined;

c) —SR 11 , where R 11 is as previously defined; and

d) —NR 13 R 14 , where R 13 and R 14 are as previously defined;

D and E are each independently selected from:

a) C 1 -C 12 alkylene containing 0, 1, 2 or 3 heteroatoms independently selected from O, S and N;

b) Substituted C 1 -C 12 alkylene containing 0, 1, 2 or 3 heteroatoms independently selected from O, S and N;

c) C 2 -C 12 alkenylene containing 0, 1, 2 or 3 heteroatoms independently selected from O, S and N;

d) Substituted C 2 -C 12 alkenylene containing 0, 1, 2 or 3 heteroatoms independently selected from O, S and N;

e) C 2 -C 12 alkynylene containing 0, 1, 2 or 3 heteroatoms independently selected from O, S and N;

f) Substituted C 2 -C 12 alkynylene containing 0, 1, 2 or 3 heteroatoms independently selected from O, S and N;

g) C 3 -C 12 cycloalkylene;

h) Substituted C 3 -C 12 cycloalkylene;

i) Heterocycloalkylene; and

j) Substituted heterocycloalkylene;

L is absent, or selected from:

a) —O—;

b) —N(R 12 )—; where R 12 is as previously defined;

c) —N(C(O)R ii )—; where R 11 is as previously defined;

d) —N(C(O)OR 11 )—; where R 11 is as previously defined;

e) —S(O) m —, where m=0, 1 or 2;

f) —OC(O)NH—;

g) —OC(S)NH—;

h) —SC(S)NH—;

i) —NHC(O)NH—;

j) —NHC(S)NH—;

k) —O-M-, where M is selected from optionally substituted C 1 -C 12 alkylene, or optionally substituted C 2 -C 12 alkenylene, or optionally substituted C 2 -C 12 alkynylene, or optionally substituted C 3 -C 12 cycloalkylene;

l) —S(O) m -M-, where m=0, or 1, or 2 and M is as previously defined;

m) —OC(O)NH-M-, where M is as previously defined;

n) —OC(S)NH-M-, where M is as previously defined;

o) —NHC(O)NH-M-, where M is as previously defined; and

p) —NHC(S)NH-M-, where M is as previously defined;

J is R 11 , where R 11 is as previously defined;

K is ethyl, 1-hydroxyethyl, isopropyl or n-propyl;

R 8 is selected from:

a) Hydrogen

b) C 1 -C 12 alkyl; and

c) Substituted C 1 -C 12 alkyl;

R c is methyl, ethyl, allyl or n-propyl; and

R 9 is hydrogen or R 11 .

2. A compound according to claim 1 which is represented by the formula (II):

wherein, R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R a , R b , E, L, and D are as defined in claim 1 .

3. A compound according to claim 1 which is represented by the formula (III):

wherein, R 7 , R 8 , R a , R b , E, L, and D are as defined in claim 1 .

4. A compound according to claim 1 which is represented by the formula (IV):

wherein, R 8 , E, L, and D are as defined in claim 1 .

5. A compound represented by formula (V) or formula (VI):

wherein:

L is selected from: —N(Me)—; —NH—; —N(Boc)-; —N(Ac)-; —OC(O)NH—, —SCH 2 CH 2 OC(O)NH— and —OCH 2 CH 2 OC(O)NH—;

n is 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5; and

R 7 C(O)— is selected from the groups set forth in the following table:

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6. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of claim 1 or a pharmaceutically-acceptable salt, ester or prodrug thereof, in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

7. A method of treating a viral infection in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to said subject a therapeutically-effective amount of the pharmaceutical composition according to claim 6 .

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein said viral infection is selected from HCV, HBV, HAV and HIV infection.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising coadministering at least one additional anti-viral agent.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said additional anti-viral agent is selected from viral-enzyme targeted compounds, viral-genome-targeted therapies, and immunomodulatory agents.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising coadministering a cytochrome P-450 inhibitor.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the additional anti-viral compound is selected from ribavirin, interferon and Toll receptor agonists.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the cytochrome P-450 inhibitor is ritonavir.