10-Deacetylbaccatin III (I) was protected by treatment with triethylsilyl chloride and imidazole, and the resulting trisilylated compound (II) was debenzoylated to diol (III) by using Red-Al(R). Coupling of (III) with m-anisic acid (IV) yielded the m-methoxybenzoate ester (V). Complete desilylation of (V), followed by selective resilylation at C-7 with triethylsilyl chloride, furnished (VI). Acylation at C-10 and C-13 by means of Ac2O and DMAP, followed by desilylation, gave the modified baccatin (VII).

Heck coupling between 4-bromobenzophenone (VIII) and methyl acrylate (IX) in the presence of palladium diacetate gave the unsaturated ester (X). Subsequent basic hydrolysis of the methyl ester group of (X) yielded p-benzoylcinnamic acid (XI). The title compound was then obtained by the coupling of acid (XI) with the precursor baccatin (VII) in the presence of EDC and DMAP.