A focused library of heterocyclic compounds including a 2-aminomethyl-1H-benzimidazole, 2-aminomethylindole, benzofuran-2-ylmethylamine, or 2-piperazin-1-ylmethylbenzoxazole fragment was screened for the ability to inhibit in vitro hepatitis C virus (HCV).The synthetic methods were described.The antiviral activity and cytotoxicity data were presented.Most of the compounds carrying a benzoxazol-2-ylmethylamine fragment inhibited Huh7.3 human hepatoma cells infected in vitro with HCV with nanomolar potency but were inactive against the HCV RNA-replicon.The only exception was 9-methyl-N(6)-(3-nitrophenyl)-2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-1H-carbazole-1,6-diamine, which demonstrated nanomolar potency against HCV in both models.The most active and selective compounds were (piperazin-1-yl)-[(1H-indol-2-ylmethyl)piperidin-4-yl]-ketones (EC50 0.31-2.2 μM, CC50 10.2-110 μM) and 2-(1,2,3a,4,5,6-hexahydropyrazino[3,2,1-jk]carbazol-3-yl)acetamide (EC50 1.69±0.5 μM, CC50 114±42 μM).The two most selective inhibitors I (TI50 = 52) and II (TI50 = 68) were selected for further preclin. trials.