Discovery of thiophene-2-carboxylic acids as potent inhibitors of HCV NS5B polymerase and HCV subgenomic RNA replication. Part 1: Sulfonamides.

The discovery of a novel class of HCV NS5B polymerase inhibitors, 3-arylsulfonylamino-5-phenyl-thiophene-2-carboxylic acids is described. SAR studies have yielded several potent inhibitors of HCV polymerase as well as of HCV subgenomic RNA replication in Huh-7 cells.