A method has been developed for the synthesis of 2-pyridyl-substituted derivatives of 7-benzyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropyrido[3,4-d]pyrimidine based on the condensation of ethyl 1-benzyl-3-oxopiperidine-4-carboxylate with pyridyl-2-, pyridyl-3-, and pyridyl-4-carboxamidines and subsequent reactions of 7-benzyl-2-pyridyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-3H-pyrido[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-ones with trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride and secondary amines. © 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.