The invention discloses 3-ketosteroids of the following formula used to inhibit steroid 5.alpha.-reductase: ##STR1## wherein R is OH, C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkanoyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkanoyloxy, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkanol, COCH.sub.2 OH, CO.sub.2 H, CONR.sub.7 R.sub.8, cyclopropoxy, acetylthioalkane, cyclopylamino, 2-2-dimethyldioxolan-4-yl, 1,2-dihydroxyethyl and C.sub.1-4 alkanethiol; R.sub.1 is hydrogen, hydroxy or C.sub.1-6 alkyl; R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 together may indicate .dbd.O, that is an oxygen double bonded to the 17 carbon; R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are each independently hydrogen or C.sub.1-6 alkyl; R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 are each independently hydrogen or OH; R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 together may indicate .dbd.O, that is an oxygen double bonded to the 11 carbon; R.sub.7 is hydrogen or C.sub.1-8 alkyl; R.sub.8 is C.sub.1-8 alkyl; and with the proviso that, when R is OH, then R.sub.1 is hydrogen; and with the proviso that, when R.sub.5 is OH, then R.sub.6 is hydrogen.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application is a division of U.S. Ser. No. 08/737,031 filed Feb. 11, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,750,744 which is a CIP of Ser. No. 08/231,433 filed May 2, 1994, now abandoned, and also a U.S. Chapter 2 filing of PCT/US95104399 which has an effective international filing date of Apr. 11, 1995.
