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;R1 is selected from:an optionally substituted acyclic C1-8
hydrocarbon group wherein one
carbon atom of the acyclic C1-8
hydrocarbon group may optionally be replaced by O, S, NRc, S(O) or SO2, or two adjacent carbon atoms of the acyclic C1-8
hydrocarbon group may optionally be replaced by CONRc, NRcCO, NRcSO2 or SO2NRc provided that in each case at least one
carbon atom of the acyclic C1-8 hydrocarbon group remains; andan 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;R2 is
hydrogen or X—R8;X is a C1-8 alkanediyl group wherein one
carbon atom of the C1-8 alkanediyl group may optionally be bonded to a —CH2—CH2—
moiety to form a
cyclopropane-1,1-diyl group or two adjacent carbon atoms of the C1-8 alkanediyl group may optionally be bonded to a —(CH2)n
moiety, where n is 1 to 5, to form a C3-7-
cycloalkane-1,2-diyl group;R3 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;R4 is
hydrogen or R4a wherein R4a is
halogen; cyano; C1-4
alkyl; fluoro-1-4
alkyl; C1-4 alkoxy; fluoro-C1-4 alkoxy; hydroxy-C1-4
alkyl; or C1-2 alkoxy-C1-4 alkyl;R5 is
hydrogen or R5a wherein R5a is selected from C1-2 alkyl optionally substituted with
fluorine; C1-3 alkoxy optionally substituted with
fluorine;
halogen; cyclopropyl; and cyano;R8 is hydroxy or C(═O)NR10R11; 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;R10 is hydrogen or C1-4 alkyl; andR11 is hydrogen; amino-C2-4 alkyl or hydroxy-C2-4 alkyl;but excluding the compounds 1-(3-benzoylphenyl)-
ethylamine and 1-(3-
furan-2-oylcarbonylphenyl)-
ethylamine.