Macrocyclic peptides active against the hepatitis c virus

A compound of formula (I):

• wherein R1 is hydroxy;
• R2 is a group of formula:
• wherein
• R20 is H, OH, halogen, or Y1—R20a wherein Y1 is a bond, O, S, or NR20b and wherein:
• R20a is selected from the group consisting of:
• (C1-8)alkyl, (C1-6)alkyl-C≡N, (C2-8)alkenyl, (C2-8)alkynyl and (C3-7)cycloalkyl, each of said alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl and cycloalkyl being optionally substituted with one, two or three substituents, each independently selected from:
• halogen, (C1-6)alkyl optionally substituted with —O—(C1-6)alkyl or —O—(C3-6)cycloalkyl, (C3-7)cycloalkyl, —O—(C1-6)alkyl, Het, —O—(C3-6)cycloalkyl, —NH2, —NH(C1-4)alkyl and —N((C1-4)alkyl)2;
• and
• R20b is H, (C1-6)alkyl or (C3-6)cycloalkyl;
• and W is N;
• and the dotted line “a” is a double bond;
• or
• R20 is oxo, and W is NR23 wherein R23 is H, (C1-6)alkyl, (C2-6)alkenyl or (C2-6)alkynyl;
• and the dotted line “a” is a single bond;
• R21 is halogen or Y2—R21a, wherein Y2 is a bond, O, S, SO or SO2, and R21a is (C1-6)alkyl, (C2-6)alkenyl, (C2-6)alkynyl, (C3-7)cycloalkyl or (C3-7)cycloalkyl-(C1-6)alkyl-;
• R22 is H, —OH, —O—(C1-4)alkyl, —NH2, —NH(C1-4)alkyl or —N((C1-4)alkyl)2;
• or R2 is a group of formula:
• wherein
• R20, W and the dotted line “a” are as defined above;
• R24 is H or R21 as defined above;
• and
• R25 is H or (C1-6)alkyl;
• X is O or NH;
• R3 is (C1-10)alkyl, (C3-7)cycloalkyl or (C3-7)cycloalkyl-(C1-4)alkyl-,
• a) wherein the cycloalkyl and cycloalkyl-alkyl- may be mono-, di- or tri-substituted with (C1-3)alkyl;
• b) wherein the alkyl, cycloalkyl and cycloalkyl-alkyl- may be mono- or di-substituted with substituents each independently selected from hydroxy and O—(C1-6)alkyl;
• c) wherein each alkyl group may be mono-, di- or tri-substituted with halogen;
• and
• d) wherein in each cycloalkyl group being 5-, 6- or 7-membered, one or two —CH2-groups not being directly linked to each other may be replaced by —O— such that the O-atom is linked to the group X via at least two C-atoms;
• D is a 3 to 8 atom saturated or unsaturated alkylene chain;
• and
• the dotted line “b” is a single bond or a double bond;
• wherein Het as used herein is defined as a 3- to 7-membered heterocycle having 1 to 4 heteroatoms each independently selected from O, N and S, which may be saturated, unsaturated or aromatic, and which is optionally fused to at least one other cycle to form a 4- to 14-membered heteropolycycle having wherever possible 1 to 5 heteroatoms, each independently selected from O, N and S, said heteropolycycle being saturated, unsaturated or aromatic;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester thereof.