A newly discovered antineoplastic compound denominated "phenstatin" is herein described as are synthetic methods for producing phenstatin and the active prodrug thereof. Phenstatin was converted to the sodium phosphate prodrug (3d) by a dibenzylphosphite phosphorylation and subsequent hydrogenolysis sequence 3b3c3d. Phenstatin (3b) was found to be a potent inhibitor of tubulin polymerization and the binding of colchicine to tubulin comparable to combretastatin A-4 (1b).