To a stirred and cooled solution of 3-[6′-methyl-4′-(4-trifluoromethyl-phenyl)-[2,2′]bipyridinyl-6-yl]-phenylamine (example 327) (0.400 g, 0.986 mmol) in EtOAc (4 mL) and sat. NaHCO3-sol. (2 mL) was added methanesulfonyl chloride (1.08 mL, 14.7 mmol) and the mixture was stirred at 23° C. for 2 h. Diluted with EtOAc, washed with sat. NaHCO3-sol. and water, dried the organic layer over Na2SO4. Removal of the solvent in vacuum left a crude product which was purified by silica gel column chromatography with EtOAc, followed by trituration with diethyl ether to give the title compound as a white solid (0.090 g, 19%). MS (ISP) 484.4 [(M+H)+].
