PROCESS FOR PRODUCING 19-NORSTEROIDS COMPRISING CARBON CHAIN SUBSTITUTED IN 11BETA POSITION BY AMIDE OR CARBAMAGTE GROUP, AS WELL AS PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITIONS COMPRISING SUCH COMPOUNDS AS ACTIVE INGREDIENT

The invention relates to the compounds (I): in which A and B are either where R2 and R'2 are H or alkyl (C1-4), or where R3 is H or alkyl (C1-4) or acyl, and - either R17 and R'17 together form a ketone, - or R17 is hydroxyl or acyloxy and R'17 represents hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl, these groups being optionally substituted, - X represents methylene, arylene, CH2-O or arylenoxy, - Y represents a single bond or aliphatic chain (C1-18) optionally interrupted by one or more arylene(s) or oxygen(s) or optionally oxidised sulphur(s), the chain optionally terminating in an arylene, - Z represents a single bond or CH2-O, on the understanding that when Y and Z are a single bond, X cannot be methylene or CH2-O, -RA and RA' represent hydrogen, alkyl optionally substituted with aryl, alkyl or dialkylamino, hydroxyl, halogen or esterified carboxyl, or RA and RA' form, with the nitrogen, a saturated or unsaturated heterocycle optionally containing one or more other hetero atoms and optionally substituted with an alkyl (C1-4), on the understanding that at least one of RA or RA' is not a hydrogen, to their preparation, to their use as medicaments, to compositions containing them and to the new intermediates obtained.