5-bromo-N-[4-methoxy-3-(4-methyl- 1-piperazinyl)phenyl]furan-3-carboxamide (0.16 g;0.41 mmol) was stirred with 4-pyridylboronic acid (0.050 g;0.41 mmol), tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(0) (0.024 g;5 mol %) and anhydrous sodium carbonate (0.047 g;0.45 mmol) in water (8 ml) and DME (8 ml) and the whole heated at reflux under Ar (18 hours). The reaction mixture was poured into 10% Na2CO3 (aq) (20 ml ) and extracted into CHCl3. The organic extracts were combined, dried over Na2 SO4, filtered and the filtrate evaporated in vacuo to a brown gum. The gum was purified by flash silica-gel chromatography and eluted with 4%MeOH/CHCl3 to yield a orange oil which was triturated with hexane/Et2O. The solid that formed was collected by filtration and dried in vacuo to yield the title compound as a tan solid (0.029 g;18%), mp=103°-105° C.
