Steroid compounds with anti-tumor activity

A compound having the structural formula IB or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof,

• wherein X1, X2, R1 and R2 are independently selected from the group consisting of oxo, hydrogen, hydroxyl, oxyalkyl, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, alkyloxy, alkyloxyalkyl, alkylthioalkyl, alkoxycarbonyl, alkylthiocarbonyl, alkanoyl, cycloalkylalkyl, cycloalkylcarbonyl, cycloalkylalkanoyl, cycloalkylthiocarbonyl, cycloalkylalkoxycarbonyl, cycloalkylalkoxythiocarbonyl, cycloalkylthioalkyl, alkylcarbonyloxyalkyl, cycloalkylcarbonyloxyalkyl, silyloxyalkyl, aralkyl, arylalkenyl, arylcarbonyl, aryloxycarbonyl, arylthiocarbonyl, aralkoxycarbonyl, arylalkylthiocarbonyl, aryloxyalky, arylthioalkyl, haloalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, aralkanoyl, aroyl, aryloxycarbonylalkyl, aryloxyalkanoyl, carboxyl, alkenylcarbonyl, alkynylcarbonyl, Het1, Het1alkyl, Het1oxyalkyl, Het1aryl, Het1aralkyl, Het1cycloalkyl, Het1alkoxycarbonyl, Het1alkylthiocarbonyl, Het1oxycarbonyl, Het1thiocarbonyl, Het1alkanoyl, Het1aralkanoyl, Het1aryloxyalkyl, Het1alkyloxyalkyl, Het1arylthioalkyl, Het1aryloxycarbonyl, Het1aralkoxycarbonyl, Het1aroyl, Het1oxyalkylcarbonyl, Het1alkyloxyalkylcarbonyl, Het1aryloxyalkylcarbonyl, Het1carbonyloxyalkyl, Het1alkylcarbonyloxyalkyl, Het1aralkylcarbonyloxyalkyl, Het2alkyl, Het2oxyalkyl, Het2alkyloxyalkyl, Het2aralkyl, Het2carbonyl, Het2oxycarbonyl, Het2thiocarbonyl, Het2alkanoyl, Het2alkylthiocarbonyl, Het2alkoxycarbonyl, Het2aralkanoyl, Het2aralkoxycarbonyl, Het2aryloxycarbonyl, Het2aroyl, Het2aryloxyalkyl, Het2arylthioalkyl, Het2oxyalkylcarbonyl, Het2alkyloxyalkylcarbonyl, Het2aryloxyalkylcarbonyl, Het2carbonyloxyalkyl, Het2alkylcarbonyloxyalkyl, Het2aralkylcarbonyloxyalkyl, cyano, CR3═NR4, CR3═N(OR4), aminocarbonyl, aminoalkanoyl, aminoalkyl, unsubstituted or substituted by one or more substituents independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aralkyl, aryl, Het1, Het2, cycloalkyl, alkyloxy, alkyloxycarbonyl, carboxyl, aminocarbonyl, mono- or di(alkyl)aminocarbonyl, aminosulfonyl, alkylS(═O)t, hydroxy, cyano, halogen or amino, unsubstituted, mono- or disubstituted, wherein the substituents are independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, aryloxy, arylamino, arylthio, aryloxyalkyl, arylaminoalkyl, aralkoxy, alkylthio, alkoxy, aryloxyalkoxy, arylaminoalkoxy, aralkylamino, aryloxyalkylamino, arylaminoalkylamino, arylthioalkoxy, arylthioalkylamino, aralkylthio, aryloxyalkylthio, arylaminoalkylthio, arylthioalkylthio, alkylamino, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, Het1, Het2, Het1alkyl, Het2alkyl, Het1amino, Het2amino, Het1alkylamino, Het2alkylamino Het1thio, Het2thio, Het1alkylthio, Het2alkylthio, Het1oxy and Het2oxy;
• OR3;
• SR3, SO2NR3R4, SO2N(OH)R3, CN, CR3═NR4, S(O)R3, SO2R3, CR3═N(OR4), N3, NO2, NR3R4, N(OH)R3, C(O)R3, C(S)R3, CO2R3, C(O)SR3, C(O)NR3R4, C(S)NR3R4, C(O)N(OH)R4, C(S)N(OH)R3, NR3C(O)R4, NR3C(S)R4, N(OH)C(O)R4, N(OH)C(S)R3, NR3CO2R4, NR3C(O)NR4R5, and NR3C(S)NR4R5, N(OH)CO2R3, NR3C(O)SR4, N(OH)C(O)NR3R4, N(OH)C(S)NR3R4, NR3C(O)N(OH)R4, NR3C(S)N(OH)R4, NR3SO2R4, NHSO2NR3R4, NR3SO2NHR4, P(O)(OR3)(OR4), wherein t is an integer between 1 and 2 and R3, R4 and R5 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aminoalkyl, aminoaryl, alkylcarbonylamino, arylcarbonylamino alkylthiocarbonylamino and arylthiocarbonylamino;
• wherein X3 participates together with X3′ in an oxo functional group, or wherein X3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl, sulfur, oxyalkyl, oxycarbonyl, alkyl, Het1alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aminoalkyl, aminoacyl, alkylcarbonylamino, alkylthiocarbonylamino, Het1, glycosyl, thio derivatives thereof, amino derivatives thereof, hydroxyl-protected derivatives thereof, alkyloxycarbonyl, unsubstituted or substituted by one or more substituents independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aralkyl, aryl, Het1, Het2, cycloalkyl, alkyloxy, alkyloxycarbonyl, carboxyl and aminocarbonyl;
• and X3′ is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, Het1, glycosyl, thio derivatives thereof, amino derivatives thereof, hydroxyl-protected derivatives thereof, aralkyl, and unsubstituted or substituted by one or more substituents independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aralkyl, aryl, Het1, Het2, cycloalkyl, alkyloxy, alkyloxycarbonyl, carboxyl, aminocarbonyl, mono- or di(alkyl)aminocarbonyl, aminosulfonyl, alkylS(═O)t, hydroxy, cyano, halogen or amino, unsubstituted, mono- or disubstituted, wherein the substituents are independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, aryloxy, arylamino, arylthio, aryloxyalkyl, arylaminoalkyl, aralkoxy, alkylthio, alkoxy, aryloxyalkoxy, aylaminoalkoxy, aralkylamino, aryloxyalkylamino, arylaminoalkylamino, arylthioalkoxy, arylthioalkylamino, aralkylthio, aryloxyalkylthio, arylaminoalkylthio, arylthioalkylthio, alkylamino, cycloalkyl and cycloalkylalkyl;
• wherein X4 and X7 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, oxygen, oxo, carbonyl, thiocarbonyl, hydroxyl, alkyl, aryl, Het1, glycosyl, thio derivatives thereof, amino derivatives thereof, hydroxyl-protected derivatives thereof, Het1alkyl, Het1aryl, alkenyl, alkynyl, hydroxyalkyl, hydroxycarbonyl, hydroxycarbonylalkyl, hydroxycarbonylaryl, hydroxycarbonyloxyalkyl and hydroxycarbonyloxyaryl;
• aminocarbonyl, mono- or di(alkyl)aminocarbonyl, aminosulfonyl, alkylS(═O)t, hydroxy, aminoalkyl, aminoaryl, cyano, halogen or amino, unsubstituted, mono- or disubstituted, wherein the substituents are independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, aryloxy, arylamino, arylthio, aryloxyalkyl, arylaminoalkyl, aralkoxy, alkylthio, alkoxy, aryloxyalkoxy, aylaminoalkoxy, aralkylamino, aryloxyalkylamino, arylaminoalkylamino, arylthioalkoxy, arylthioalkylamino, aralkylthio, aryloxyalkylthio, arylaminoalkylthio, arylthioalkylthio, alkylamino, Het1, Het2, alkyloxycarbonyl, carboxyl, aminocarbonyl, cycloalkyl and cycloalkylalkyl;
• wherein X5 participates in a double bond between the carbon atoms in position 4 and 5 or between carbon atoms in position 5 and 6, and X6 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl and hydroxyalkyl, or wherein X5 and X6 are independently selected from the group consisting of halogen, hydrogen, hydroxyl, hydroxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, aminoaryl, unsubstituted or substituted by one or more substituents independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aralkyl, aryl, Het1, Het2, cycloalkyl, alkyloxy, alkyloxycarbonyl, carboxyl, aminocarbonyl, and
• wherein n is an integer between 0 and 10,
• provided that when X6 and X4 are H, when X5 participates in a double bond between the carbon atoms in position 5 and 6, when X3 participates together with X3′ in an oxo functional group, when n is zero and X1, X2, R1 and R2 are H, X7 is not hydroxyl.