Methods of treating a flaviviridae family viral infection, compositions for treating a flaviviridae family viral infection, and screening assays for identifying compositions for treating a flaviviridae family viral infection

Abstract

Briefly described, embodiments of this disclosure include compositions, pharmaceutical compositions, methods of treating a host infected with a virus from the Flaviviridae family of viruses, methods of identifying a candidate agent for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and the like.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of treating a host infected with a virus from the Flaviviridae family of viruses, the method comprising administering to the host a therapeutically effective amount of an inhibiting agent to reduce the viral load in the host. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the Flaviviridae family of viruses includes viruses selected from the group consisting of: a flavivirus, a pestivirus, a Hepatitis C virus, a yellow fever virus (YFV); a Dengue virus; a Japanese Encephalitis virus; a Murray Valley Encephalitis virus; a St. Louis Encephalitis virus; a West Nile virus; a tick-borne encephalitis virus; a Hepatitis C virus; a Kunjin virus; a Central European encephalitis virus; a Russian spring-summer encephalitis virus; a Powassan virus; a Kyasanur Forest disease virus; and a Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the virus is Hepatitis C virus. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inhibiting agent is selected from the group consisting of: clemizole, a clemizole analog, and a compound having a clemizole scaffold; an H1 antagonist, an H1 receptor antagonist that share structural similarity with clemizole; cinoxacin, a cinoxacin analog, and a compound having a cinoxacin scaffold; norepinephrine, a norepinephrine analog, and a compound having a norepinephrine scaffold; glybenclamide, a glybenclamide analog, and a compound having a glybenclamide scaffold; spiradoline, a spiradoline analog, and a compound having a spiradoline scaffold; tropicamide, a tropicamide analog, and a compound having a tropicamide scaffold, isosteres of each of these compounds, pharmaceutical salts of each of these compounds, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inhibiting agent is selected from the group consisting of: clemizole, a clemizole analog, and a compound having a clemizole scaffold. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the inhibiting agent is a salt of clemizole. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the salt of clemizole is clemizole hydrochloride, wherein clemizole hydrochloride is administered in an amount of from about 15 mg to 200 mg per dose, wherein the clemizole hydrochloride is administered one or more times a day. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising administering at least one additional therapeutic agent selected from the group consisting of: an anti-HCV therapeutic agent, an HCV NS3 protease inhibitor, an HCV NS5B RNA-dependent RNA polymerase inhibitor, a thiazolide, sustained release thiazolide, a nucleoside analog, and an interferon-alpha. 
     
     
         9 . A method for treating a host having a viral infection for a virus from the Flaviviridae family of viruses, comprising an inhibiting agent, wherein the inhibiting agent has the following structure: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein R 1  is 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein R 2  is 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         n is 1, and where X is 
       
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein each of R 4 -R 7  is independently selected from the group consisting of: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising a second agent for treating the viral infection. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the second agent is an anti-HCV therapeutic agent. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the second agent is an HCV NS3 protease inhibitor. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the second agent is an HCV NS5B RNA-dependent RNA polymerase inhibitor. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the second agent is a thiazolide or a sustained release thiazolide. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the second agent is a nucleoside analog. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the second agent is an interferon-alpha.