Abstract An enantioselective synthesis of the tricyclic ketone (+)-5, which displays the carbon core of NGF-inducing cyathane diterpenes, has been completed according to a strategy in which the key step was the intramolecular Heck reaction of the AC subunit 49 establishing the crucial anti stereochemical relationship between the two angular substituents. The C-9 quaternary centre was set up by taking advantage of the enantioselective Michael addition ...