THIS INVENTION DESCRIBES THE NEW 18-METHYL-19-NOR-17-PREGN-4-ENE-21,17CARBOLACTONES OF GENERAL FORMULA 1 IN WHICH Z MEANS AN OXYGEN ATOM, TWO HYDROGEN ATOMS, A GROUPING =NOR OR =NNHSO2R, WHEREBY R IS A HYDROGEN ATOM OR A STRAIGHT-CHAIN OR BRANCHED-CHAIN ALKYL GROUP WITH 1 TO 4 OR 3 TO 4 CARBON ATOMS, R6 IS A HYDROGEN ATOM, A HALOGEN ATOM, A METHYL GROUP: OR A TRIFLUORORNETHYL GROUP, R6 AND/OR R7 CAN BE IN α- OR ß- POSITION, AND: INDEPENDENTLY OF ONE ANOTHER, MEAN A STRAIGHT-CHAIN OR BRANCHED-CHAIN ALKYL GROUP WITH 1 TO 4 OR 3 TO 4 CARBON ATOMS, OR R6 MEANS A HYDROGEN ATOM, AND R7 MEANS AN α- OR ß- POSITION, STRAIGHT-CHAIN OR BRANCHED-CHAIN ALKYL GROUP WITH 1 TO 4 OR 3 TO 4 CARBON ATOMS, OR R6 AND R7 EACH MEAN A HYDROGEN ATOM, OR R6 AND R7 TOGETHER MEAN AN α- OR ß- POSITION METHYLENE GROUP OR AN ADDITIONAL BOND. THE NEW COMPOUNDS HAVE GESTAGENIC AND ANTI-MINERALOCORTICOID ACTION AND ARE SUITABLE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF PHARMACEUTICAL PREPARATIONS, FOR EXAMPLE FOR ORAL CONTRACEPTION AND THE TREATMENT OF PRE-, PERI- AND POST-MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS.
