Patent ID: 7608601

Claim:
A method of treating a hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection comprising administering to a patient in need thereof an effective amount of a compound of formula I wherein the compound of formula I is in the D configuration, and; R is hydrogen; R 1 is alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, haloalkyl, alkylcarbonyl, hydroxyalkyl, alkoxyalkyl, alkoxy, cyano, azido, hydroxyiminomethyl, alkoxyiminomethyl, halogen, alkylcarbonylamino, alkylaminocarbonyl, or aminomethyl, alkylaminomethyl, dialkylaminomethyl or heterocyclyl; R 2 is hydrogen, hydroxy, alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, alkoxy, halogen or cyano; R 3 and R 4 (i) independently are hydrogen, hydroxy, alkoxy, halogen or hydroxyalkyl, provided that at least one of R 3 and R 4 is hydrogen; or (ii) together represent ═CH 2 or ═N—OH, or (iii) both represent fluorine; R 5 is hydrogen, hydroxy, alkyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, NHR 8 , halogen or SH; R 6 is hydroxy, NHR 8 , NHOR 9 , NHNR 8 , —NHC(O)OR 9′ or SH; R 7 is hydrogen, hydroxy, alkyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, NHR 8 , halogen, SH or cyano; R 8 is hydrogen, alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, arylcarbonyl or alkylcarbonyl; R 9 is hydrogen or alkyl; R 9′ is alkyl; and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.