Melphalan
![](/Images/godic/202502/09/Melphalan.svg1032.png")
![](/Images/godic/202502/09/Melphalan_ball-and-stick1032.png")
![Syntheses:[8][9][10] U.S. Patent 3,032,584; U.S. Patent 3,032,585 (both 1962 to NRDC).](/Images/godic/202502/09/Melphalan_synthesis.svg1032.png")
Melphalan (trade name Alkeran, in former USSR also known as Sarcolysin) is a chemotherapy drug belonging to the class of nitrogen mustard alkylating agents.
An alkylating agent adds an alkyl group (CnH2n+1) to DNA. It attaches the alkyl group to the guanine base of DNA, at the number 7 nitrogen atom of the imidazole ring.