A range of amines was reacted with norcantharidin (2) to provide the corresponding norcantharimides (9–43). Treatment of norcantharidin with allylamine afforded the corresponding allyl-norcantharimide (20) which was amenable to epoxidation (mCPBA, 22) and subsequent ring opening (MeOH/H+; 23) or alternatively, osmylation (OsO4/NMO; 24). These simple synthetic modifications of 2 facilitated the development of a novel series of ...