2-(2-(2-(2-((2-Methoxy-4-(piperidin-4-yl)phenyl)amino)-5-(trifluoromethyl)pyrimidin-4-yl)ethyl)phenyl)acetamide (2) (2.249 g, 4.38 mmol) was dissolved in methanol (220 mL) and 37% formaldehyde solution (0.483 mL, 17.5 mmol) was added. After five minutes sodium tris(acetoxy)borohydride (4.641 g, 21.9 mmol) was added and stirring continued at room temperature for two hours. The volatiles were evaporated and the residue suspended in 5% aqueous sodium hydroxide (200 mL), The resuiting mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate (5×200 mL) then the combined organic phases were washed with brine (500 mL), dried over sodium sulfate and evaporated. The residue was evaporated from ether and the solvent traces removed under high vacuum to give the title compound (3) (2.196 g, 95% yield) as a white solid; 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) δ 8.53 (s, 1H), 8.24 (d, J=8.2 Hz, 1H), 7.85 (s, 1H), 7.28-7.22 (m, overlaps with CHCl3), 6.88 (dd. J=8.3, 18 Hz, 1H), 6.81 (d, J=1.8 Hz, 1H), 5.41 (s, 2H), 3.90 (s, 3H), 3.70 (s, 2H), 3.16-3.06 (m, 4H), 2.99 (d, J=12.1 Hz, 2H), 2.48 (tt, J=10.5, 5.9 Hz, 1H), 2.34 (s, 3H), 2.07 (td, J=11.1, 4.1 Hz, 2H), 1.89-1.77 (m, overlaps with water). LCMS Method C: rt 4.94 min; m/z 528.1 [M+H]+, 550.1 [M+Na]+; m/z 526.2 [M−H]−.
