1478968 21-Alkylated-pregnanes AKZO NV 10 July 1974 [11 July 1973] 33149/73 Heading C2U Novel steroids have the formula wherein X is H, F or Cl; Y is H 2 , H(OH), H(O acyl), =0, H(F) except when X is F, or H(C1); R 1 is C 1-4 alkyl; R 2 is H or C 1-4 alkyl; R 3 is H, CH 3 or halogen; Z is OH, O alkyl or O acyl or forms together with R 4 a group as indicated hereinafter; Q is, when #<SP>15</SP> is absent, C 1-4 alkylidene or (#-H) (α-R 4 ) in which R 4 is, together with Z, C 3-5 alkylidenedioxy, C 1-4 alkylidene, C 7-8 aralkylidene, alkylone of the formula in which A is H or halogen and B is H, halogen, C 1-4 alkyl, haloalkyl, alkoxy or phenyl, or a [17α,16α-d]- or [16α,17α-d]-oxazolino group wherein the 2<SP>1</SP>-position may be C 1-4 alkyl- or phenyl-substituted, or Q (when A<SP>15</SP> is present) is CH 3 or halomethyl; and #<SP>1</SP>- and #<SP>6</SP>-double bonds are optionally present. They are prepared from corresponding #<SP>16</SP>-steroids by introducing the required substituents into the D ring or from corresponding steroids containing -COCH 2 R 5 (wherein R 5 is H or halogen) in place of -COCHR 1 R 2 by mono- or di-alkylation. In representative examples (i) 3#-hydroxy- #<SP>9(11),16</SP> - 5α - pregnadien - 20 - one 3 - tetrahydropyranyl ether (from the free 3-ol) is 21- methylated with 3-hydrolysis, the 3#-hydroxy- 21 - methyl - #<SP>9(11),16</SP> - 5α- pregnadien - 20 - one is epoxidized, the 3#-hydroxy-16α,17α-epoxy-21- methyl - #<SP>9(11)</SP> -5α pregnen - 20 - one is converted to 3#,16α,17α - trihydroxy - 21 - methyl- #<SP>9(11)</SP>- 5α-pregnen - 20 - one 16 - acetate 20 - carbethoxyhydrazone, this is converted to 3#,16α,17α - trihydroxy - 21 - methyl - #<SP>9(11)</SP> 5α - pregnen - 20 - one 16 - acetate, this to 3# - hydroxy - 16α,17α - isopropylidenedioxy- 21 - methyl - #<SP>9(11)</SP>5α - pregnen - 20 - one, this to the corresponding 3,20-dione, this to the corresponding #<SP>1</SP>'<SP>4,9(11)</SP> -pregnatriene, this to 9α - bromo - 11# - hydroxy - 16α,17α - isoprpylidenedioxy - 21 - methyl - #<SP>1,4</SP>-pregnadiene- 3,20-dione and this to 11#-hydroxy-16α,17α- isopropylidenedioxy -21 - methyl - #<SP>1</SP>'<SP>4</SP>- pregnadiene - 3,20 - dione; (ii) 3# - hydroxy- 16α,17α - epoxy - 21 - methyl - #<SP>9(11)</SP>5α- pregnen - 20 - one is converted via 3#,17α-dihydroxy - 16# - azido - 21 - methyl - #<SP>9(11)</SP>- 5α - pregnen - 20 - one, 3,17 - diacetate, the corresponding 16#-amino, 16#-chloramino and 16 - imino compounds, 3#,17α - dihydroxy- 16 - acetamido - 21 - methyl - #<SP>9(11),15</SP> - pregnadien - 20 - one diacetate, the corresponding free diol, the 3-monoacetate, 3#,17α-dihydroxy- 16α - acetamido - 21 - methyl - #<SP>9(11)</SP>5α- prenen - 20 - one 3 - acetate, the corresponding free diol, the corresponding 3,20-dione, [16α, 17α-d] - 2<SP>1</SP>- methyl - oxazoline - 21 - methyl- #<SP>9(11)</SP>5α- pregnene - 3,30 - dione, a crude 2,4 - di bromo derivative, [16α,17α-d] - 2<SP>1</SP>- methyl - oxazoline - 21 - methyl - #<SP>1,4,9(11)</SP> pregnatriene - 3,20 - dione, and the corresponding 9α - bromo - 11#-hydroxy - #<SP>1,4</SP>- pregnadiene to 11#- hydroxy - [16α,17α,-d]- 21 - methyloxazoline - 21 - methyl - #<SP>1,4</SP>- pregnadiene - 3,20 - dione; (iii) 3#,11#- diacetoxy - 21 - methyl - #<SP>16</SP> - 5α - pregnen - 20- one is converted via 3#,11# - diacetoxy- 16,21 - dimethyl - #<SP>16</SP> - 5α- pregnen - 20 - one, 3#,11# - dihydroxy - 16#,21 - dimethyl - 16α,17α- epoxy - 5α - pregnan - 20 - one 11# - acetate (compound A), 3#,11#,17α - trihydroxy - 16- methylene - 21 - methyl - 5α - pregnan - 20- one 11#- acetate and the corresponding #<SP>1,4</SP>-3,20 - dione into 11#-17α, - dihydroxy- 16 - methylene - 21 - methyl - #<SP>1,4</SP>-pregnadiene- 3,20 - dione; (iv) 3#,11#- dihydroxy - #<SP>16</SP>- 5α - pregnen - 20 - one is converted via its 3,11 - ditetrahydropyranyl ether, 3#,11#- dihydroxy - 21 - methyl - #<SP>16</SP> - 5α - pregnen- 20 - one, its diacetate, 3#,11#,16# - trihydroxy- 17α - bromo - 21 - methyl - 5α - pregnan - 20- one 3,11 - diacetate 16 - formate, 3#,11#- dihydroxy - 16#,17# - epoxy - 21 - methyl- 5α - isopregnan - 20 - one 11 - acetate, 3#,11#,- 16α - trihydroxy - 17α - azido - 21 - methyl - 5α- pregnan - 20 - one 11 - acetate, the corresponding triacetate, the corresponding 17α-amino compound, 3#,11# - dihydroxy - [17α,16α-d]- 2<SP>1</SP> - methyloxazoline - 21 - methyl - 5α - pregnan- 20 - one 3,11 - diacetate, the corresponding 11 - monoacetate, the corresponding 3,20- dione and the corresponding #<SP>1,4</SP>-compound to 11# - hydroxy[17α,16α-d] - 2<SP>1</SP> - methyloxazoline 21 - methyl - #<SP>1,4</SP> - pregnadiene - 3,20 - dione; (v) 3# - hydroxy - [17α,16α-d] - 2<SP>1</SP> - methyloxazoline - #<SP>9(11)</SP> - 5α - pregnen - 20 - one is converted via the corresponding 3-thp-ether, 3#- hydroxy - [17α,16α,-d] - 2<SP>1</SP> - methyloxazoline- 21 - methyl - #<SP>9(11)</SP> - 5α - pregnen - 20 - one and the corresponding 3,20-dione to [17α, 16α,-d]-2<SP>1</SP>- methyloxazoline - 21 - methyl - #<SP>1</SP>'<SP>4,9(11)</SP>- pregnatriene - 3,20-dione; (vi) compound A (see (iii)) is converted via 3#,11#,17α,-trihydroxy- 16,21 - dimethyl - #<SP>15</SP> - 5α - pregnen - 20 - one 11# - acetate, the corresponding 3-ones, and 11#,17α, - dihydroxy - 16,21 - dimethyl - #<SP>1,4,15</SP>- pregnatriene - 3,20 - dione 11# - acetate into 11#,17α - dihydroxy - 16,21 - dimethyl - #<SP>1,4,15</SP> - pregnatriene - 3,20 - dione; (viii) 3# - hydroxy- #<SP>9(11)</SP>,<SP>16</SP> - 5α , pregnadien - 20 - one acetate is converted via a crude pyrazoline, 3#-hydroxy- 16α,17α - methylene - #<SP>9(11) </SP>- 5α - pregnen - 20- one acetate, the corresponding free 3 - ol, its 3,3-dimethyl ketal and 16α,17α-methylene-21- methyl - #<SP>9(11)</SP> - 5α - pregene - 3,20 - dione to 11# - hydroxy - 16α,17α - methylene - 21- methyl - #<SP>1,4</SP> - pregnadiene - 3,20 - dione; (viii) 16α,17α - isopropylidenedioxy - 21 - methyl - #<SP>9(11)</SP> - 5α - pregnene - 3,20 - dione is converted via a crude 2α-bromo derivative, the corresponding #<SP>1,9(11)</SP> - pregnadiene, and 16α,- 17α, - isopropylidenedioxy - 21 - methyl- #<SP>1,4,9(11)</SP> - pregnatriene - 3,20 - dione (which may also be prepared via a dibromo derivative of the starting material) to 9α-fluoro-11#- hydroxy - 16α,17α - isopropylidenedioxy - 21- methyl - #<SP>1,4</SP> - pregnadiene - 3,20 - dione; (ix) 3#,11# - diacetoxy - 21 - methyl - #<SP>16</SP> - 5α- pregnen - 20 - one is converted via 3#,11#- diacetoxy-16α,17α - ethylene - 21 - methyl- 5α - pregnan - 20 - one, the corresponding 11- monoacetate, the corresponding 3,20-dione and the corresponding #<SP>1</SP>'<SP>4</SP>- compound to 11#- hydroxy - 16α,17α - ethylene - 21 - methyl- #<SP>1,4</SP> - pregnadiene - 3,20 - dione; (x) and (xi) various 11#-ols of the invention are converted via the corresponding #<SP>9(11)</SP>-compounds, 9α- bromo - 11#-ols and 9#,11# - epoxides into 9α-fluoro-11#-ols, and there are oxidized to the corresponding 11-ones; (xii), (Xiii) and (xiv) 9α,11# - dichloro-16α,17α - isopropylidenedioxy- 21 - methyl - #<SP>1,4</SP> - pregnadiene - 3,20 - dione is prepared from the corresponding #<SP>1,4,9(11)</SP> - compound and other inventive compounds are prepared similarly, as are 9α - chloro- 11#- hydroxy - 16α,17α - methylene - 21- methyl - #<SP>1,4</SP> - pregnadiene - 3,20 - dione and 9α - chloro - 11# - fluoro - [16α,17α-d] - 2<SP>1</SP> - methyloxazoline - 21 - methyl - #<SP>1,4</SP> - pregnadiene - 3,20 - dione; (xv) 11# - hydroxy- 16α,17α - isopropylidenedioxy - 21 - methyl- #<SP>1,4,</SP>6 - pregnatriene - 3,20 - dione 11 - acetate is prepared from the corresponding #<SP>1,4</SP>- pregnadiene; and (xvi) 3# - hydroxy - 21- methyl - #<SP>5,16</SP>pregnadien - 20 - one is converted via 3# - hydroxy - 16α,17α - isopropylidenedioxy - 21 - methyl - #<SP>5</SP>- pregnen - 20 - one, 3#- acetoxy - 5α,6α - epoxy - 16α,17α - ipdo- 21 - methyl - 5α - pregnan - 20 - one, the corresponding 5α - hydroxy - 6# - fluoro compound, the corresponding 3#-ol and 3-one and 6α - fluoro - 16α,17α-ipdo - 21 - methyl - #<SP>4</SP>- pregnene - 3,20 - dione to 6α - fluoro - 16α,17α- isopropylidenedioxy - 21 - methyl - #<SP>1,4</SP> pregnadiene-3,20-dione. Corresponding reactions are also effected on the coresponding 21,21-dimethyl compounds, prepared by remethylation of the 21-methyl compounds generally immediately after the first 21-methylation. The novel steroids are anti-inflammatory agents and they may be made up into standard pharmaceutical compositions.
[GB1478968A]