Patent ID: 7067682

Claim:
A process for introducing 6α,7β-dioxygenation into a steroid, comprising providing a steroid of Formula (13) having a carbonyl group at C7 and a double bond between C5 and C6, comprising a reduction the carbonyl group to a hydroxyl group, followed by a hydroboration of the double bond to provide a hydroxyl group at C6, wherein the C6 hydroxyl group has the α-configuration and the C7 hydroxyl group has the β-configuration, wherein each of the compounds of Formulas (13) and (14) include pharmaceutically acceptable salts and solvates thereof, and wherein: each of C1, C2, C3, C4, C11, C12, C15, C16 and C17 is independently substituted according to any of (a) and (b): (a) one of: ═O, ═C(R 4 )(R 4 ), —C(R 4 )(R 4 )(C(R 4 )(R 4 )) n — and —(O(C(R 4 )(R 4 )) n O)— wherein n ranges from 1 to about 6; (b) two of: —X, —R 4 and —OR 1 , each independently selected; each of C8, C9, C10, C13 and C14 is independently substituted with one of —X, —R 4 or —OR 1 ; R 1 is H or a protecting group such that —OR 1 is a protected hydroxyl group, where vicinal —OR 1 groups may together form a cyclic structure which protects vicinal hydroxyl groups, and where geminal —OR 1 groups may together form a cyclic structure which protects a carbonyl group; R 4 at each occurrence is independently selected from H and C 1-30 organic moiety that may optionally contain at least one heteroatom selected from the group consisting of boron, halogen, nitrogen, oxygen, silicon and sulfur, where two geminal R 4 groups may together form a ring with the carbon atom to which they are both bonded; and X represents fluoride, chloride, bromide and iodide.