The alkylation of ethyl 2-(benzyloxycarbonylamino)cyanoacetate (I) with ethyl bromoacetate and anhydrous potassium carbonate in acetone gives diethyl 2-(benzyloxycarbonylamino)-2-cyanosuccinate (II), which is hydrolyzed by means of hydrogen peroxide and sodium carbonate in acetone/water, yielding 3-(benzyloxycarbonylamino)-3-(ethoxycarbonyl)pyrrolidine-2,5-dione (III). Racemic (III) is then resolved by means of crystallization with cinchonidine in ethanol to give the (-)-enantiomer (IV) (>99.5% e.e.). Hydrogenolysis of (IV) over Pd/C in ethanol, followed by treatment with 2,5-dimethoxytetrahydrofuran in acetic acid, affords (-)-3-(ethoxycarbonyl)-3-(pyrrol-1-yl)pyrrolidine-2,5-dione (VI). Treatment of (VI) with trichloroacetyl chloride in ethyl acetate, followed by condensation with 4-bromo-2-fluorobenzylamine in the presence of triethylamine, gives AS-3201 (>99.4% e.e.).