Description
A squalene synthase inhibitor (IC50s = 79 and 90 nM in HepG2 cells and rat liver microsomes, respectively); inhibits cholesterol biosynthesis in rats (ED50 = 32 mg/kg); dose-dependently reduces plasma triglyceride and non-HDL cholesterol levels in hamsters fed both normal and high-fat diets; reduces viral RNA, core and NS3 protein production, and secreted viral particles in Huh-7.5.1-8 cells infected with HCV strain JFH-1 without affecting cell viability at 0.5-1.5 µM; confers protection against cytotoxicity induced by the bacterial pore-forming toxin pneumolysin in HBE1 and NHBE cells at 1-10 µM