The 17ß-cyano-19-androst-4-ene derivatives of the present invention have gestagenic activity. They have the general chemical formula (1), in which Z is selected from the group comprising O, two hydrogen atoms, NOR and NNHSO2R, wherein R is hydrogen or C1-C4 alkyl, R1 and R2 independently of one another are hydrogen or methyl, or R1 and R2 together form methylene, or are omitted, whereby a double bond is formed between C1 and C2, R4 is hydrogen or halogen and in addition either: R6a, R6b together form methylene or 1,2 ethanediyl or R6a is hydrogen and R6b is selected from the group comprising hydrogen, methyl and hydroxymethylene, and R7 is selected from the group comprising hydrogen, C1-C4 alkyl, C2-C3 alkenyl and cyclopropyl, or: R6a is hydrogen and R6b and R7 together form methylene, or are omitted, whereby a double bond is formed between C6 and C7, or: R6a is methyl and R6b and R7 are omitted, whereby a double bond is formed between C6 and C7, R15 and R16 are hydrogen, or together form methylene and R17 is selected from the group comprising hydrogen, C1-C4- alkyl and aIIyI. The derivatives also comprise the solvates, hydrates, stereoisomers, diastereomers, enantiomers and salts of the aforementioned substances, with the proviso that certain compounds are excluded.