A reagent kit developed by Argonaut Technologies promises to help chemists identify the best synthesis route for drug candidates in the earliest stages of drug discovery and development.

The Amidation Toolkit is the latest in Argonaut's resin-bound reagent product range and can be used to explore amidation reactions, which are involved in the synthesis of around 30 per cent of all medicines.

Conventional methods for amide synthesis require time-consuming purification procedures once the synthesis is complete, according to Argonaut . In contrast, the Amidation Toolkit integrates a purification step into the synthetic method but provides an end product with a purity that rivals other methods. "Reaction by-products and excess reagents are readily removed by filtration when they are resin-bound," according to the company.

Howard Goldstein, senior vice president at Argonaut, said: "We are now able to provide chemists with the tools to explore reaction strategies for amide synthesis. This enables them to identify and optimise the best synthetic method prior to committing to large-scale synthesis."

Argonaut also markets a resin-based reagent toolkit for reductive amination, another common reaction in drug synthesis, and a general kit that is intended for solution phase chemistry.