Practical stereoselective synthetic routes to the antihistaminic drug olopatadine and its E-isomer have been developed, the key steps being a trans stereoselective Wittig olefination using a nonstabilized phosphorus ylide and a stereoselective Heck cyclization. The stereoselectivity of the Wittig reaction depends on both the phosphonium salt anion and the cation present in the base used to generate the ylide.