GB913942A - Steroid compounds - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention comprises 21-fluoro substituted steroids of the general formula <FORM:0913942/IV (b)/1> wherein Z represents an a or b -alkyl group, W represents a keto or hydroxy group, and X represents a hydrogen or halogen atom, and the preparation thereof by reacting the corresponding 21-methane sulphonates with an alkali metal fluoride in the presence of dimethylformamide. The 9a -halogen atom may be a fluorine or chlorine atom, and the alkyl group may be a methyl, ethyl, propyl or butyl group. The above process may be modified in that the 21-methane sulphonate reactants are prepared by a process described and claimed in Specification 913,943. A large number of detailed examples are given describing the preparation of the above steroids by the method referred to above which also gives rise to the formation of a by-product having a 17a ,21-oxido-20-keto grouping in place of the 17a -hydroxy-20-keto-21-fluoro grouping. Therapeutic compositions useful for the allevation of arthritis contain as the active ingredient a 21-fluoro-steroid of the above general formula. Specifications 877,085, 877,086 and 906,443 also are referred to.