A practical zinc-MsOH mediated intra-molecular reductive cyclisation and its application in thesynthesis of tafamidis is presented starting from the readily available 3-hydroxy-4-nitrobenzoic acid as aprecursor. The key reductive cyclization step involves the use of a combination of the readily available zincand MsOH as the catalyst system. This methodology provides an attractive route to 2-aryl benzoxazoles from

ortho-nitro phenols under mild reaction conditions. This methodology is developed on a multi-gram scale andwithout the need for column chromatography.

A new and alternative zinc-MsOH mediated intra-molecular reductive cyclisation and its application in the synthesis of tafamidis is reported starting from the readily available 3-hydroxy-4-nitrobenzoic acid as precursor. This method provides an attractive route to 2-aryl benzoxazoles from ortho-nitro phenols under mild reaction conditions.