Cycloaddition of the 4, 5-dihydrothieno [2, 3-c] pyridine (6) and phthalimidoacetyl chloride gave a novel tricyclic β-lactam, methyl 4, 5, 8, 8a-tetrahydro-7-oxo-8-phthalimido-7H-azeto [1, 2-a] thieno [2, 3-c] pyridine-5-carboxylate (7). On deprotection followed by acylation, this gave the 8-acylamino derivatives 9 and 10.