Sodium tetrahydroborate (320 mg, 8.4 mmol) was added to a mixture of 5-(3-acetyl-5-chloro-6-cyano-2-methoxyphenyl)-N,N-dimethylpyridine-2-carboxamide (2 g, 6 mmol) in methanol (100 mL) cooled at 0° C. The reaction was stirred at 0° C. for 1 h, quenched with water and partitioned between water and EtOAc. The combined organic layer was washed with brine, dried over MgSO4, filtered and concentrated to give crude 5-[3-chloro-2-cyano-5-(1-hydroxyethyl)-6-methoxyphenyl]-N,N-dimethylpyridine-2-carboxamide as clear oil (2.0 g, 100%). LCMS calculated for C18H19ClN3O3 (M+H)+: m/z=360.1; found: 360.1.
