To a tautomeric mixture of 5-[(2-chloro-4-pyrimidinyl)acetyl]-2-(methyloxy)benzonitrile and 5-[(Z)-2-(2-chloro-4-pyrimidinyl)-1-hydroxyethenyl]-2-(methyloxy)benzonitrile (2.87 g, 10.0 mmol) in DCM (250 mL) was added NBS (1.78 g, 10.0 mmol) in one portion. Upon completion by TLC, the reaction was concentrated. The residue was taken up in dioxane (100 mL) and 2-aminopyridine (2.89 g, 30.7 mmol) was added. The reaction was stirred at 65° C. overnight. The reaction was poured into half saturated NaHCO3, extracted with DCM and EtOAc, dried (MgSO4), concentrated and triturated with diethyl ether to provide the title compound (2.36 g, 6.50 mmol, 65%). 1H NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d6) δ ppm 3.96 (s, 3H), 7.18-7.25 (m, 2H), 7.33 (d, J=9.0 Hz, 1H), 7.52-7.58 (m, 1H), 7.77 (d, J=9.0 Hz, 1H), 7.92 (dd, J=8.8, 2.4 Hz, 1H), 8.00 (d, J=2.2 Hz, 1H), 8.56 (d, J=5.5 Hz, 1H), 9.34-9.39 (m, 1H).
