To a stirring solution of 2-methoxymethyloxy-4-isopropylbenzoic acid (3.0 g, 13.4 mmol) in THF (50 mL) was added sodium ethoxide (0.91 g, 13.4 mmol). After 15 min, the solvent was removed in vacuo and the residue was suspended in dichloromethane (50 mL). To this mixture was added a couple drops of DMF followed by oxalyl chloride (1.7 g, 13.4 mmol). After another 30 min, the solvent was removed in vacuo and the residue was again suspended in dichloromethane (150 mL). To this mixture was added pyridine (2.9 g, 36.5 mmol), followed by N-(5-chloropyridin-2-yl)-2-aminobenzamide (3.02 g, 12.2 mmol). After stirring for 2 h, the solvent was removed in vacuo and the residue was partitioned between ethyl acetate (400 mL) and water (200 mL). The organic phase was washed twice with 1 M citric acid, once with brine, twice with saturated aq sodium bicarbonate and once with brine. The organic phase was then dried with MgSO4 and filtered. To this solution was added silica gel (about 10 g) and the solvent was removed in vacuo. The resulting dry pack was loaded onto the top of a silica gel column loaded with 10% ethyl acetate in hexanes and eluted with a gradient of 10% ethyl acetate in hexanes through 30% ethyl acetate in hexanes. The clean product containing fractions were combined and concentrated in vacuo to give 2.18 g (39%) of off white solid. Another set of fractions which contained a small amount of impurity were combined and concentrated in vacuo to give 2.09 g (about 38%) of an off white solid.
