Nicotinic acid (345 mg, 2.8 mmol) was suspended in 10 mL of dichloromethane and oxalyl chloride (2.8 mL of a 2.0 M soln in methylene chloride) was added by syringe followed by one drop of DMF. The reaction mixture was stirred at 25° C. for 2 hours and then was evaporated and azeotroped with toluene. The resulting acid chloride was then dissolved in dichloromethane and a solution of (4-amino-2-phenylbenzoyl)methionine methyl ester (669 mg, 1.87 mmol), prepared as in Example 192B, in 5 mL of dichloromethane was added followed by 4 mL of saturated aqeuous NaHCO3 and the reaction was stirred at 25° C. for 3 hours. The layers were separated and the organic layer was dried over Na2SO4, filtered and evaporated to give 830 mg (96%) of [4-(3-pyridylcarbonylamino)-2-phenylbenzoyl]methionine methyl ester as an oil. 1H NMR (300 mHz, CDCl3) δ 9.2 (d, 1H), 8.76 (d, 1H), 8.42 (bs, 1H), 8.2 (dt, 1H), 7.72-7.65 (m, 2H), 7.6 (dd, 1H), 7.45-7.35 (m, 5H), 6.02 (bd, 1H), 4.65 (dq, 1H), 3.68 (s, 3H), 2.20 (t, 2H), 2.01 (s, 3H), 1.98-1.88 (m, 1H), 1.80-1.78 (m, 1H). CIMS 464 (M+H)+.
