Palladium-catalyzed coupling of 3-bromopyridine (I) with propargyl alcohol (II) produced 3-(3-pyridyl)propargyl alcohol (III). Reaction of alcohol (III) with diketene (IV) in the presence of DMAP gave the acetoacetate ester (V), which was subsequently treated with ammonia in THF to furnish the enamino ester (VI). The title dihydropyridine derivative was then obtained by Hantzsch's synthesis upon condensation between ethyl 4-(2-isopropylimidazo[4,5-c]pyridin-1-yl)benzoylacetate (VII), enamino ester (VI) and 3,3-diphenylpropanal in refluxing EtOH.