Ecteinascidin 743 1 (Et 743, 1) is an extremely potent antitumor agent isolated from a marine tunicate, Ecteinascidia turbinata. Et 743 is currently undergoing phase II clinical trials and also attracting considerable attention owing to its unique mechanism of action. 2 The novelty of its structure, the remarkable biological activities, and its natural scarcity make it an attractive target for total synthesis. 3 To date, Corey and co-workers have reported the only total synthesis ...
