STEROID AND PRODUCTION THEREOF

NEW MATERIAL:1,2alpha-Methylene-6,7alpha-difluoromethylene-17alpha-(3'-hyd roxy-propyl) androst-4-en-17beta-ol-3-one. USE:A production intermediate for 1,2alpha-methylene-6,7alpha-difluoro-methylene-20- sprirox-4-en-3-one (MDS) useful as a remedy for hyperandrogenosis such as pimple. MDS can be derived from the compound in high yield. PREPARATION:The compound of formula II is made to react with an alkali metal acetate of formula III (M is alkali metal) in a solvent (preferably diglyme, etc.) at 150-180 deg.C. The produced compound of formula IV is made to react with the glycol of formula V (A is H or methyl; x is 0 or 1) in an inert solvent such as benzene in the presence of an acid catalyst to acetalize the 3-carbonyl group. The resultant compound of formula VI (Z is residue of formula VII) is reduced to a diol compound and deacetalized under acidic condition to obtain the objective compound.