We wish to report here our initial efforts towards the total synthesis of callystatin A, describing the synthesis of the C13-C22 fragment. This asymmetric approach uses an efficient syn-aldol reaction, and a diastereoselective epoxidation of an allylic alcohol with m-CPBA followed by epoxide opening with Me2CuLi. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.