To facilitate access to arylated VitD analogs that had previously required ca. 9 steps to prepare (Figure ), late-stage side-chain installation of triene 52 was pursued (9, Figure ). Thus, enyn-ene 48 was transformed to triene acid 52 via a two-step protocol (reduction/isomerization, saponification) in 46% isolated yield (over 2 steps). Fe-catalyzed decarboxylative arylation, 41f via in-situ activation of acid 52 with HATU and addition of the corresponding Ar2Zn in the presence of 20 mol% Fe(acac)3, provided the desired arylated VitD analogs in appreciable yields (53-57, 21-40%) as a mixture of diastereomers. The value of this approach is evident by the synthetic short-cut that can be taken to access such arylated calcipotriol analogs. Convergent access to such analogs is facilitated by the chemoselective nature of the decarboxylative coupling that does not require protection of the reductively, oxidatively, and photochemically sensitive triene system that historically requires an additional round of protection.