1,3-Benzothiazol-2-ylacetonitrile is an intermediate used to prepare substituted benzothiazoleacetonitriles and benzothiazolyl aminopyridinecarbonitriles as anticancer agents. It is also used in the synthesis of pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrazinedicarbonitriles as protein kinase inhibitors with antiproliferative activity in human cancer cell lines.