The invention described herein relates to certain pyrimidinedione N-substituted glycine derivatives of formula (I)
which are antagonists of HIF prolyl hydroxylases and are useful for treating diseases benefiting from the inhibition of this enzyme, anemia being one example.
A process for producing 2,6-difluorobenzonitrile comprises reducing a chloro fluorobenzonitrile selected from 3- chtoro-2,6-difluorobenzonitrile, 3,5-dichloro-2,6-difluorobenzonitrile or a mixture thereof by hydrogen gas in the presence of a palladium or platinum catalyst at a temperature of 0 to 200 °C.