To a solution of 4-{[(3-chloro-2-methylphenyl)methyl]amino}-2-(4-morpholinyl)-1,3-thiazole-5-carboxamide (1 g, 2.73 mmol) in 1,2-Dimethoxyethane (DME) (20 ml) at 0° C. was added acetoxyacetyl chloride (0.586 ml, 5.45 mmol). The mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 h, then stirred at 50° C. overnight. The mixture was quenched with methanol and concentrated. To the resulting residue in Methanol (12 ml) was added 6N NaOH (0.9 mL, 5.45 mmol). The mixture was stirred at room temperature for 60 min, then acidified (˜pH 5) with 1N HCl. The solvent was removed and the residue was partitioned between dichloromethane and water. The organic layer was dried (sodium sulfate), filtered, and concentrated. Reversed-phase HPLC purification provided 4-[(3-chloro-2-methylphenyl)methyl]-5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-(4-morpholinyl)[1,3]thiazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidin-7(4H)-one. (250 mg, 22%); LC/MS: MS (ES+) m/e 407 (MH+); 1H NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d6) δ ppm 2.43 (s, 3H), 3.51 (m, 4H), 3.67 (m, 4H), 4.32 (d, J=5.6 Hz, 2H), 5.57 (s, 2H), 5.64 (t, J=5.6 Hz, 1H, OH), 6.51 (d, J=7.6 Hz, 1H), 7.14 (m, 1H), 7.37 (d, J=7.8 Hz, 1H).
