Displacement of the 7-alpha bromo substituent of bromoketone (I) by N-butyl-N-methyl-11-mercaptoundecamide (II) with retention of configuration provided the 7-alpha thioether (III). The keto group of (III) was reduced with NaBH4 to alcohol (IV), which was further deoxygenated to (V) by means of triethylsilane and trifluoroacetic acid. Finally, basic hydrolysis of the acetate esters of (V) furnished the title compound.