Patent ID: 7399856

Claim:
A process for the preparation of 4-[[4-[[4-(2-cyanoethenyl)-2,6-dimethylphenyl]amino]-2-pyrimidinyl]amino]benzonitrile of formula (I), a N-oxide, a pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salt, a quaternary amine or a stereochemically isomeric form thereof, which comprises reacting an intermediate of formula (II), an appropriate acid addition salt or a stereochemically isomeric form thereof with an intermediate of formula (III), an appropriate acid addition salt or a N-oxide thereof wherein W 1 represents a suitable leaving group, in the presence of a suitable solvent, optionally followed by converting the free base into an acid addition salt by treatment with an acid, or alternatively, by converting the acid addition salt form into the free base by treatment with alkali; and optionally followed by preparing stereochemically isomeric forms, N-oxide forms or quaternary amines thereof.