This invention discloses a process for the preparation of a 4-amino-3-quinolinecarbonitrile comprising combining an amine compound with a cyanoacetic acid and an acid catalyst to yield a cyanoacetamide; condensing the cyanoacetamide with an optionally up to tetra-substituted aniline in an alcoholic solvent and a trialkylorthoformate to yield a 3-amino-2-cyanoacrylamide; combining the 3-amino-2-cyanoacrylamide with phosphorus oxychloride in acetonitrile, butyronitrile, toluene or xylene, optionally in the presence of a catalyst to yield a 4-amino-3-quinolinecarbonitrile and also discloses a process for the preparation of a 7-amino-thieno[3,2-b]pyridine-6-carbonitrile comprising combining a disubstituted 3-amino thiophene with a cyanoacetamide and trialkylorthoformate in an alcoholic solvent to obtain a 3-amino-2-cyanoacrylamide; and combining the 3-amino-2-cyanoacrylamide with phosphorus oxychloride and acetonitrile, butyronitrile, toluene or xylene, optionally in the presence of a catalyst to yield a 7-amino-thieno[3,2-b]pyridine-6-carbonitrile and also discloses a process for the preparation of a 4-amino-3-quinolinecarbonitrile by combining an amine compound with a cyanoacetic acid and a peptide coupling reagent to obtain a suspension; filtering the suspension to yield a cyanoacetamide; condensing the cyanoacetamide with an optionally up to tetra-substituted aniline, an alcoholic solvent, and triethylorthoformate to yield a 3-amino-2-cyanoacrylamide; and combining the 3-amino-2-cyanoacrylamide with phosphorus oxychloride to yield a 4-amino-3-quinolinecarbonitrile.