Patent ID: 7754709

Claim:
A method of treating a steroid hormone dependent disease or disorder, requiring the inhibition of the 17β-HSD type 1, 17β-HSD type 2 or 17β-HSD type 3 enzyme, wherein the steroid hormone dependent disease or disorder is selected from the group consisting of breast cancer, prostate carcinoma, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, colon cancer, endometrial cancer, endometrial hyperplasia, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, uterine leiomyoma, adenomyosis, dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia, metrorrhagia, prostadynia, benign prostatic hyperplasia, acne, hirsutism, androgenic alopecia, precocious puberty, adrenal hyperplasia, polycystic ovarian syndrome, urinary dysfunction and osteoporosis, said method comprising administering to a patient suffering from one or more of the aforementioned steroid hormone dependent diseases or disorders an effective amount of a compound corresponding to formula (I) wherein R 1 and R 2 together with their binding sites form a cyclic 5-, 6-, 7- or 8-membered ring system, which is saturated or contains one or more double bonds between the ring atoms, and wherein said ring is optionally substituted with up to three substituents independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl or arylalkyl wherein the aryl group is optionally substituted, alkoxy, aryloxy, acyloxy, arylthio, alkylthio, aryl-S(O) 1-2 —, alkyl-S(O) 1-2 —, hydroxyl, oxo, halogen, amino, oxime, —(C═O ) —R, —(C═O ) —O—R, thiocarboxyl, and amido; R 3 and R 4 form together with their binding sites a cyclic 5-, 6-, 7- or 8-membered hydrocarbon ring system, which is saturated or contains one or more double bonds between the carbon atoms, and wherein said ring is optionally substituted with up to three substituents independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl or arylalkyl wherein the aryl group is optionally substituted, alkoxy, aryloxy, acyloxy, arylthio, alkylthio, aryl-S(O) 1-2 —, alkyl-S(O) 1-2 —, hydroxyl, oxo, halogen, amino, oxime, —(C═O )—R, —(C═O )—O—R, thiocarboxyl, and amido; wherein R may be hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, or aryl-(C 1 -C 4 )-alkyl, both optionally substituted in the aryl group or a physiologically acceptable salt thereof; provided that said compound is not 1,2,7,8,9,10,11,13-octahydro-13-oxo-4-(phenylthio)-[1]benzothieno[2′,3′:4,5]pyrimido[1,2-a]azepine-3-carboxaldehyde.