Patent ID: 6992074

Claim:
A method of treating a metabolic bone disease where it is desired to maintain or increase bone mass comprising administering to a patient with said disease an effective amount of a compound selected from the group consisting of 19-nor-2α-ethyl-1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 , 19-nor-2β-ethyl-1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 , 19-nor-20(S)-2α-ethyl-1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 , 19-nor-20(S)-2β-ethyl-1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 , 19-nor-2(E)-ethylidene-1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 , 19-nor-2(Z)-ethylidene-1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 , 19-nor-2(E)-ethylidene-20(S)-1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 , 19-nor-2(Z)-ethylidene-20(S)-1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 .