Process for the preparation of pyrimidine compounds

A process for preparing a compound of Formula (2a) and tautomers thereof:

• which comprises
• a) reacting a compound of formula R1—CO—CH2-E with a compound of formula R2—CHX1X2 in the presence of a compound of formula R3R4N—C(═NH)NH2 and a catalyst, thereby forming the compound of Formula (2a),
• wherein
• R1 is an H or an alkyl group;
• R2 is an H or an alkyl or aryl group;
• R3 and R4 are each independently H, alkyl or aryl, or R3 and R4 are linked to form, together with the nitrogen to which they are attached, a 5- to 7-membered heterocyclic ring,
• wherein optional substitutents for alkyl, aryl or heteroaryl groups R1, R2, R3 or R4 are selected from optionally substituted C1-4-alkyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted aryloxy, optionally substituted heterocyclyl, polyalkylene oxide, carboxy, oxo phosphato, sulpho, nitro, cyano, halo, ureido, —SO2F, ester, —NRaRb, —CORa, —CONRaRb, —NHCORa, carboxyester, sulphone, and —SO2NRaRb wherein Ra and Rb are each independently H, optionally substituted alkyl C1-4-alkyl) or optionally substituted aryl, or, in the case of —NRaRb, CONRaRb and —SO2NRaRb, Ra and Rb together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached may represent an aliphatic or aromatic ring system and wherein optional substituents for any of the substituents described may be selected from C1-4-alkoxy, C1-4-alkyl, aryl, aryloxy, heterocyclyl, polyalkylene oxide, carboxy, oxo, phosphato, sulpho, nitro, cyano, halo, ureido, —SO2F, hydroxy, ester, —NRaRb, —CORa, —CONRaRb, —NHCORa, carboxyester, sulphone, and —SO2NRaRb wherein Ra and Rb are each independently H, C1-4-alkyl or aryl, or, in the case of —NRaRb, —-CONRaRb and —SO2NRaRb, Ra and Rb together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached may represent an aliphatic or aromatic ring system;
• E is a group of formula —CO2(C1-4alkyl);
• and
• X1 and X2 are each independently leaving groups, or X1 and X2 together are ═O.