Pyridones and Glutarimides

An analogous scheme is used for the synthesis of the cardiotonic agent milrinone [28]. The key aminoformyl derivative (26-2) is obtained in this case by condensation of 4-pyridylacetone (26-1) with DMF acetal. Reaction with cyanoacetamide in the presence of a strong base proceeds exactly as above to give the pyridone (26-3) by a parallel set of transformations. Note that the nitrile is left as such in this drug. 

The utility of barbituric acid derivatives as sedative-hypnotic agents is discussed in more detail later in this chapter. Studies on the chemical simplification of these pyrimidinetrione derivatives led to the discovery that pyridinediones, or glutarimides, 

Moving one of the carbonyl groups away from the amide function of course markedly reduces the acidity of the proton on nitrogen. It is interesting that 

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