Retro-4'-demethyl-4-epipodophyllotoxin 6 was synthesized in eight steps and 10% overall yield from 4'-demethyl-4-epipodophyllotoxin 12. Subsequent coupling of 22 with 1-O-trimethylsilyl-4,6-O-ethylidene-beta-D-glucoside 26 afforded retroetoposide 5 which is 10-fold less cytotoxic than etoposide against L1210 cell line. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.