Bromination of 6-acetylpyridine-2-carboxylic acid (I) in hot AcOH generated the alpha-bromoketone (II), which was subsequently esterified to (III) upon refluxing in MeOH. Thioamide (VI) was prepared by treatment of 3,4-diethoxybenzonitrile (IV) with thioacetamide (V) in the presence of HCl. The thiazole derivative (VII) was then obtained by condensation of bromoketone (III) with thioamide (VI) in refluxing MeOH. Finally, basic hydrolysis of the methyl ester function of (VII) provided the title carboxylic acid