The key intermediate to squalamine, (5alpha,7alpha,24R)-7,24-dihydroxy-cholestan-3-one, was synthesized from the 3-O-acetyl-24R,25-dihydroxy derivative of desmosterol via 10 steps in 16% overall yield and squalamine was also prepared via two further steps in 7.4% total yield from the desmosterol derivative.