| abstract |
The invention provides compounds that are useful in the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. The compounds have the formula (1): or a salt, N-oxide, tautomer or stereoisomer thereof, wherein A is CH or N; E is CH or N; R 1 is selected from: an optionally substituted acyclic C 1-8 hydrocarbon group wherein one carbon atom of the acyclic C 1-8 hydrocarbon group may optionally be replaced by O, S, NRC, S(O) or SO 2 , or two adjacent carbon atoms of the acyclic d-β hydrocarbon group may optionally be replaced by CONR c , NR c CO, NR c SO 2 or SO 2 NR c provided that in each case at least one carbon atom of the acyclic C 1-8 hydrocarbon group remains; and an optionally substituted monocyclic carbocyclic or heterocyclic group of 3 to 7 ring members, of which 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4 are heteroatom ring members selected from O, N and S; R 2 is hydrogen or X-R 8 ; X is a C 1-8 alkanediyl group wherein one carbon atom of the C 1-8 alkanediyl group may optionally be bonded to a -CH 2 -CH 2 - moiety to form a cyclopropane-1,1-diyl group or two adjacent carbon atoms of the C 1-8 alkanediyl group may optionally be bonded to a -(CH 2 ) n moiety, where n is 1 to 5, to form a C 3-7 -cycloalkane-1,2-diyl group; R 3 is an optionally substituted 3- to 10-membered monocyclic or bicyclic carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring containing 0-3 heteroatom ring members selected from N, O and S; R 4 is hydrogen or R 43 wherein R 43 is halogen; cyano; C 1-4 alkyl; fluoro-1.4 alkyl; C 1-4 alkoxy; fluoro-C 1-4 alkoxy; hydroxy-C 1-4 alkyl; or C 1-2 alkoxy-C 1-4 alkyl; R 5 is hydrogen or R 53 wherein R 53 is selected from C 1-2 alkyl optionally substituted with fluorine; C 1-3 alkoxy optionally substituted with fluorine; halogen; cyclopropyl; and cyano; R 8 is hydroxy or C(=O)NR 10 R 11 ; provided that when R8 is hydroxy, there are at least two carbon atoms in line between the hydroxy group and the nitrogen atom to which X is attached; R 10 is hydrogen or C 1-4 alkyl; and R 11 is hydrogen; amino-C 2-4 alkyl or hydroxy-C 2-4 alkyl; but excluding the compounds 1-(3-benzoylphenyl)-ethylamine and 1-(3-furan-2-oylcarbonylphenyl)-ethylamine. |