Quinolones as HCV NS5B polymerase inhibitors

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is treated with a combination of peginterferon alfa-2a/b and ribavirin. To address the limitations of this therapy, numerous small molecule agents are in development, which act by directly affecting key steps in the viral life-cycle. Herein we describe our discovery of quinolone derivatives, novel small-molecules that inhibit NS5b polymerase, a key enzyme of the viral life-cycle. Our SAR led us from keto-quinolones such as 2 to benzyl esters such as 19 with attractive enzyme inhibition and cell-based replicon activity. This class of compounds binds to an allosteric site of NS5B polymerase (NNI-2) as confirmed through a co-crystal structure of a representative compound to NS5B.