2-Chloro-4-methylpyridine is used as a reagent in the synthesis of the mGLUR5 modulators imidazolyl-ethynyl-pyridines as potential antipsychotics. It is also used in the preparation of trifluoromethyl(pyrimidinyl)azetidinecarboxamides as potent, orally bioavailable TGR5 agonists.