Patent ID: RE44734

Claim:
A process for the production of a 3-oxo-pregnane-21,17-carbolactones of formula II in which R 5 is hydrogen, or hydroxy; R 6a is hydrogen, together with R 5 a double bond, or together with R 7a a —CH 2 -group; R 6b is hydrogen, together with R 7b a —CH 2 -group or a double bond; R 7a is hydrogen, C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkoxycarbonyl, C 1 -C 4 -thioacyl or together with R 6a a —CH 2 -group, R 7b is hydrogen, or together with R 6b a —CH 2 -group; R 9 is hydrogen, together with R 11 a double bond, or together with R 11 an epoxy group —O—; R 10 is hydrogen, methyl, or ethyl; R 11 is hydrogen, together with R 9 a double bond or together with R 9 an epoxy group —O—; R 13 is hydrogen, methyl or ethyl; R 15 is hydrogen, C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, together with R 16 a —CH 2 -group or a double bond, R 16 is hydrogen, together with R 15 a —CH 2 -group or a double bond, comprising reacting a compound of formula I with at least 3 molar equivalents of an organic or inorganic hypoehiorite as oxidizing agent in the presence of a catalytic amounts of a 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxide derivative at a pH of at least 8.0.