The asymmetric reduction of enantiomerically pure steroid ketones was carried out by using oxazaborolidine catalysts with a variety of achiral or chiral ligands. The efficiency of chiral ligands (1,2-amino alcohols) as well as the effect of the stereogenic centers in the substrate on the catalytic asymmetric reduction were studied. It was found that the diastereoselectivity is mainly controlled by the absolute configuration of the chiral ligand. The reduction gave either the 17 alpha- or 17 beta-alcohol with high diastereomeric purity. This catalytic reduction represents a very practical solution to the problem of controlling C(17)-stereochemistry in synthesis of steroid compounds, Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd