An investigation of phenylthiazole antiflaviviral agents.

Flaviviruses are one of the most clinically important pathogens and their infection rates are increasing steadily. The phenylthiazole ring system has provided a template for the design and synthesis of antiviral agents that inhibit the flaviviruses by targeting their E-protein. Unfortunately, there is a correlation between phenylthiazole antiflaviviral activity and the presence of the reactive and therefore potentially toxic mono- or dibromomethyl moieties at thiazole-C4. Adding a linear hydrophobic tail para to the phenyl ring led to a new class of phenylthiazole antiflaviviral compounds that lack the toxic dibromomethyl moiety. This led to development of a drug-like phenylthiazole 12 that had high antiflaviviral selectivity (TI=147).