Patent ID: 6841561

Claim:
A method of treating a host infected with a virus of the Flaviviridae, Rhabdoviridae or Paramyxoviridae family, which method comprises administering to the host an inhibitor of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, wherein the inhibitor is a compound of the formula (I): wherein each A is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxy, halogen, perhaloalkoxy, amino C 1 -C 8 alkyl, NO 2 , CN, SO 2 CH 3 , C 1 -C 8 alkyl, C 1 -C 8 alkoxy, C 3 -C 7 cycloalkyl, C 3 -C 7 cycloalkenyl, aryl, aryloxy, C 1 -C 6 perhaloalkyl and Y; or two adjacent groups A on ring b form, together with the phenyl ring to which they are attached, a naphthalene ring system; R is cyclohexyl, phenoxy or benzoxy, or a phenyl ring which is unsubstituted or substituted by a group A as defined above; or R and an adjacent group A on ring b form, together with the phenyl ring to which they are attached, a naphthalene or phenanthrene ring system; Y is selected from the group consisting of COOM, CONHR′, SO 3 M and hydrogen; M is selected from the group consisting of H, Li, Na, K and 0.5 Ca; R′ is C 1 -C 10 alkyl; n is 1 or 2; and T is =N or =C(Z) wherein either: (i) Z is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, NH 2 , OH, C 1 -C 8 alkyl, C 3 -C 7 cycloalkyl, aryl and C 1 -C 6 perhaloalkyl, or (ii) Z is a bridging moiety selected from the group consisting of —V—W— (wherein V is CH 2 or S and W is CH 2 , O, S or NH) and —(CH 2 ) 2 —C(═Z)— wherein Z is O or H 2 , the said bridging moiety being attached to the ortho position of ring b of the adjacent biphenyl group, thereby completing a ring.