Patent ID: 8309746

Claim:
A process for preparation of a 17α-alkynyl-androst-5-ene-3β, 7β, 17β-triol essentially free of steroid side-product(s) lacking an oxygen substituent at position 7 comprising the steps of (a) contacting a suitably protected dehydroepiandrosterone with an oxidizing agent to directly introduce a ═O (ketone) functional group at position 7; (b) contacting a suitably protected androst-5-en-7,17-dione-3β-ol with a reducing agent to convert the ═O (ketone) functional group at position 7 to hydroxyl predominantly in the β-configuration; and (c) contacting an optionally suitably protected alkynyl anion with suitably protected androst-5-en-17-one-3β, 7β-diol to introduce an alkynyl substituent at position 17 predominantly in the α-configuration by addition of the alkynyl anion to the ═O (ketone) functional group at position 17 wherein the 17α-alkynyl-androst-5-ene-3β, 7β,17β-triol obtained from step (c) is essentially free of binding activity at nuclear sex steroid receptors or is essentially free of an estrogenic 17α-alkynyl-androst-5-ene-3β, 17β-diol compound without purification to remove steroid side-product(s) lacking an oxygen substituent at position 7.