Patent ID: 8518920

Claim:
A compound of formula (I) or a salt or a stereoisomer thereof wherein R 1 is OH, R 2 is CH 3 , or R 1 and R 2 taken together are the group of formula (II) R 3 is a hydrogen atom or F and R 4 is F or Cl, with the proviso that: when R 1 is OH and R 2 is CH 3 , R 3 is a hydrogen atom; when R 1 and R 2 taken together are the group of formula (II), R 4 is F; R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are linked to the carbon atoms in 17, 16, 6 and 9 of the steroidal structure in position α or β; R is: wherein Y is selected from: 1) —R 5 —CH(ONO 2 )R 6 2) —R 5 —CH(ONO 2 )—(CR 7 R 8 ) n —CH(ONO 2 )R 9 3) —[(CH 2 ) o —X] p —(CH 2 ) q —CH(ONO 2 )R 9 4) —[(CH 2 ) o —(X)] p (CH 2 ) q —CH(ONO 2 )—(CR 7 R 5 ) n —(ONO 2 )R 9 wherein R 5 is a straight or branched C 1 -C 10 alkylene; R 6 is H or a straight or branched C 1 -C 6 alkyl; R 7 and R 8 at each occurrence are independently H or a straight or branched C 1 -C 6 alkyl; R 9 is H or a straight or branched C 1 -C 6 alkyl; n is an integer from 0 to 6; o is an integer from 1 to 6; p is an integer from 1 to 6; q is an integer from 0 to 6; X is O, S or NR 10 wherein R 10 is H or a C 1 -C 4 alkyl; preferably X is O; excluding the compounds of formula (I) wherein R 1 and R 2 taken together are the group of formula (II) R 4 is F and R 3 is a hydrogen atom, and R is of formula (III) wherein Y is —R 5 —CH(ONO 2 )R 6 and R 6 is H.