The embryonic ectoderm development (EED) protein is an essential subunit of Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2). A-395 antagonizes of the H3K27me3 binding functions of EED. A-395 binds to EED in the H3K27me3-binding pocket, thereby preventing allosteric activation of the catalytic activity of PRC2. A-395 is capable of competing for H3K27me3 peptide binding to EED, with an IC50 of 7 nM. A-395, but not the close chemical analog A-395N, modulates activity of PRC2 in cells by potently reducing the H3K27 methyl mark in a highly selective manner. A-395 treatment inhibits both H3K27me2 and H3K27me3, with IC50 values of 390 nM and 90 nM, respectively. Furthermore, A-395 treatment results in growth inhibition of human tumor cell lines sensitive to SAM-competitive EZH2 inhibitors.