abstract |
The present invention relates to compounds of formula (I) or pharmaceutically acceptable salts, esters or prodrugs thereof which inhibit the activity of serine protease activity, in particular hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3-NS4A protease. Therefore, the compounds of the present invention interfere with the life cycle of the hepatitis C virus and are also useful as antiviral agents. The present invention further relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the aforementioned compounds for administration to subjects suffering from HCV infection. The invention also relates to a method of treating HCV infection in a subject by administering a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of the invention. Formula I |