text: Completion of the C ring required complete reduction of the arene, placement of para oxygen atoms and importantly introduction of the C19 methyl group. The first assault on the aromatic ring in 3.1 (scheme 3) was launched with Birch reduction (potassium, ammonia, tetrahydrofuran, -78 °C, then ethanol) to diene 3.2. Deprotection (TBAF) to diol 3.3, reprotection as the benzaldehyde acetal 3.4 and reduction (sodium borohydride) to alcohol 3.5 allowed the oxidation of the diene to the 1,4-butenediol 3.6. In this photochemical [4+2]cycloaddition, singlet oxygen was generated from oxygen and rose bengal and the intermediate peroxide was reduced with thiourea. The next order of business was introduction of the C19 fragment: the new diol group was protected as the PMP acetal 3.7 (PMP stands for p-methoxyphenyl) allowing the oxidation of the C4 alcohol to ketone 3.8 with the Dess-Martin periodinane. Diethylaluminum cyanide reacted in a conjugate addition to the enone group to nitrile 3.9. The enol was  protected as the TBS ether 3.10 allowing for the reduction of the nitrile group first to the aldehyde with DIBAL and then on to the alcohol 3.11 with Lithium aluminium hydride. The alcohol group was replaced by bromine in an Appel reaction which caused an elimination reaction (loss of HBr) to cyclopropane 3.12. Treatment with hydrochloric acid formed ketone 3.13, reaction with Samarium(II) iodide gave ring-opening finally putting the C19 methyl group in place in 3.14 and deprotection (TBAF) and enol-ketone conversion gave hydroxyketone 3.15