Hydrogenation of 6-methylpyridine-2-carboxylic acid (I) over Pd/C in aqueous ammonia afforded the corresponding piperidine (II). Subsequent condensation of (II) with isovaleraldehyde (III), followed by catalytic hydrogenation with Pd/C provided the N-isopentyl piperidine (IV), which was finally coupled with O-benzyltyrosine tert-butyl ester (V) in the presence of benzotriazolyl tetramethyluronium hexafluorophosphate (HBTU) to furnish the target amide.