Our target-oriented synthesis program is concerned with the synthesis of biologically relevant molecules. An overreaching theme in our strategic design is the minimization of carbon-carbon bond formations. Instead, we invest in the selective functionalization of larger (terpene-) building blocks. We have challenged this approach in the synthesis of the telomerase inhibitor UCS1025A, the RNA polymerase inhibitor ripostatin B and the guaiane sesquiterpenoid englerin A - a compound that exhibits high selectivity against several renal cancer cell lines.