The synthesis of trans‐(±)‐N‐methyl‐N‐[2‐[methyl[2‐(3‐pyridyl)ethyl]amino]cyclohexyl]‐4‐benzofuranacetamide dihydrochloride, 1 which is a 3‐[2‐(methylamino)ethyl]pyridyl derivative of the kappa opioid analgesic trans‐(±)‐N‐methyl‐N‐[2‐(1‐pyrrolidinyl)cyclohexyl]benzofuran‐4‐acetamide monohydrochloride, 2 is described. The key intermediate is trans‐(±)‐N,N'‐dimethyl‐N‐[2‐(3‐pyridyl)ethyl]‐1,2‐cyclohexanediamine, 9 which is formed by nucleophilic addition of 3‐[2‐(methylamino)ethyl]pyridine 6 to the aziridine, 7‐methyl‐7‐azabicyclo[4.1.0]heptane, 4. During attempts to prepare the 2‐ or 4‐isomeric pyridyl derivatives of 1 it was discovered that both 2‐ or 4‐[2‐(methylamino)ethyl]pyridine, 5 or 7 are converted to N‐methyl‐N,N‐di‐[2‐(2‐pyridyl)ethylamine] 11 and N‐methyl‐N,N‐di[2‐(4‐pyridyl)ethylamine] 13 respectively by refluxing in toluene in the presence of ammonium chloride. The 3‐isomer, 6 is unchanged after treatment under identical conditions. Careful control of the reaction conditions enabled the aziridine 4 to be ring opened with the pyridyl amines 5 or 7 to give the 1,2‐diamines trans‐(±)‐N,N′‐dimethyl‐N‐[2‐(2‐pyridyl)ethyl]‐1,2‐cyclohexanediamine, 8 or trans‐(±)‐N,N′‐dimethyl‐N‐[2‐(4‐pyridyl)ethyl]‐1,2‐cyclohexane diamine 10 respectively.