Background:

MK-5172 is a selective inhibitor of Hepatitis C Virus NS3/4a Protease [1].
Hepatitis C (HCV) virus is a member of the Flaviviridae family of viruses in the Hepacivirus genus and encoded by a 9.6-kb positive strand RNA genome [2].
In biochemical assays, MK-5172 inhibited a series of major genotypes and common mutants in a HCV NS3/4A protease enzymatic assay. In a cell-based replicon system, MK-5172 inhibited HCV with EC50 values of 2 nM against genotype 1a, 0.5 nM against genotype 1b, 8 nM against genotype 2a and 13 nM against genotype 3. Also, MK-5172 is effective against HCV genotypes 1a, 2a, 1b, 2b and 3a [2].
Treatment three chronically HCV-infected chimpanzees with a dose of 1 mg/kg twice daily for 7 days, Two of the chimpanzees had wild-type (WT) gt1a or gt1b infections with high viral titers (