An organocatalytic route to the synthesis of the atorvastatin side-chain, a building block present in the statin family, is described using L-proline-catalyzed alpha-aminooxylation of an aldehyde. The method also employs an iodine-induced intramolecular electrophilic cyclization of a carbonate to produce the iodocarbonate in a highly diastereoselective manner. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.