Discovery of (R)-6-Cyclopentyl-6-(2-(2,6-diethylpyridin-4-yl)ethyl)-3-((5,7-dimethyl-[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-2-yl)methyl)-4-hydroxy-5,6-dihydropyran-2-one (PF-00868554) as a Potent and Orally Available Hepatitis C Virus Polymerase Inhibitor.

The HCV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase has emerged as one of the key targets for novel anti-HCV therapy development. Herein, we report the optimization of the dihydropyrone series inhibitors to improve compound aqueous solubility and reduce CYP2D6 inhibition, which led to the discovery of compound 24(PF-00868554). Compound 24is a potent and selective HCV polymerase inhibitor with a favorable pharmacokinetic profile and has recently entered a phase II clinical evaluation in patients with genotype 1 HCV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]