To a stirred solution of piperidine-4-carboxylic acid [6-(2-ethoxy-phenyl)-pyrimidin-4-yl]-amide (compound #1A) (0.60 g, 1.84 mmol) and potassium carbonate (0.25 g, 1.8 mmol) in DMF (40 mL) was added benzyl bromide (0.31 g, 0.22 ml, 1.84 mmol) at room temperature. The reaction mixture was heated at 60° C. for one hour and the progress of the reaction was monitored by TLC. The mixture was poured onto ice water and extracted with ethyl acetate (3×100 ml). The organic layers were separated, combined, dried over sodium sulfate, filtered and concentrated under reduced pressure. The crude product was triturated with dry diethyl ether and the solid was filtered to obtain 1-benzyl-piperidine-4-carboxylic acid [6-(2-ethoxy-phenyl)-pyrimidin-4-yl]-amide (compound #5A) (0.165 g. 21%) as a yellow solid.
