“…Differently from the 17a-monoesters of cortexolone, 9,11dehydrocortexolone-17a-butyrate (9) was found to show systemic activity in the rat aer subcutaneous injection. 12 Compound 9 was also discovered to be a potent inhibitor of gonadotropin hypersecretion, thus mimicking the activity prole of cyproterone acetate (7), which blocks the androgen-receptor interaction and simultaneously reduces serum testosterone through its antigonadotropic action. 13,14 The presence of a double bond at position 9,11 of the cortexolone, modifying the spatial conformation of the steroids rings, could be responsible for the systemic and increased topical activity of 9.…”