Improved synthesis of antibacterial 3-substituted 6-anilinouracils

3-Substituted 6-anilinouracils, presently the most promising class of inhibitors of the bacterial DNA polymerase in Gram-positive bacteria, have been prepared by a general and straightforward three-step procedure starting from a readily available 1-benzyloxymethyl-protected derivative of 6-chlorouracil.