| abstract |
5′-Amino acid esters of ribavirin represented by formula I: n wherein R is CH 3 CH(NH 2 )—CO—, CH 3 CH 2 (CH 3 )CHCH(NH 2 )—CO—or n H 2 N(CH 2 ) 4 CH(NH 2 )—CO—; preferably R is n or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, e.g., trifluoroacetate, tosylate, mesylate, and chloride, pharmaceutical compositions containing them as well as methods of treating patients having susceptible viral infections, e.g., chronic hepatitis C infections by administering a therapeutically effective amount of a ribavirin derivative, alone or in combination with a therapeutically effective amount of interferon-alpha are disclosed. |