| abstract |
The present invention provides a compound of formula (I) wherein R1 is H, OH, halo, OCO(C1-C6 alkyl), OCO(aryl), OSO2(C4-C6 alkyl), OCOO(C1-C6 alkyl), OCOO(aryl), OCONH(C1-C6 alkyl), or OCON(C1-C6 alkyl)2; R2 is aryl, C1-C6 alkyl, C3-C6 cycloalkyl, or 4-cyclohexanol; R3 is O(CH2)2 or O(CH2)3; R4 and R5 are optionally CO(CH2)2CH3,CO(CH2)3CH3, C1-C6 alkyl, or R4 and R5 combine to form, with the nitrogen to which they are attached, piperidine, morpholine, pyrrolidine, 3-methylpyrrolidine, 3,3-dimethylpyrrolidine, 3,4-dimethylpyrrolidine, azepine, or pipecoline; R6 is =C=CH2, =CH(C1-C5 alkyl), =CH(C2-C5 alkenyl), =C=CH(C1-C5 alkyl), =CH(aryl), =C(OH)(C1-C5 alkyl), =C(OH)(C2-C5 alkenyl), =C(OH)aryl; and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The present invention further provides pharmaceutical compositions containing compounds of formula (I), optionally containing estrogen or progestin, and the use of such compounds alone, or in combination with estrogen or progestin, for alleviating the symptoms of post-menopausal syndrome, particularly osteoporosis, cardiovascular related pathological conditions, and estrogen-dependent cancer. As used herein, the term "progestin" includes compounds having progestational activity such as, for example, progesterone, norethylnodrel, nongestrel, megestrol acetate, norethindrone, and the like. The compounds of the present invention also are useful for inhibiting uterine fibroid disease and endometriosis in women and aortal smooth muscle cell proliferation, particularly restenosis, in humans. |