Indications
Melphalan is used as a high-dose conditioning treatment before a stem cell transplant (hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation) in people with multiple myeloma.
⚠️ Always consult a registered physician before taking any medicine.
Pharmacology
Melphalan is an alkylating agent of the bischloroethylamine type. Its cytotoxic effect seems to depend on how far it forms interstrand cross-links with DNA, most likely by binding at the N 7 position of guanine. Like other bifunctional alkylating agents, melphalan is active against tumor cells that are resting as well as those that are dividing rapidly.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Melphalan can harm an unborn baby when it is given to a pregnant woman, because of how it works. This includes birth defects (teratogenicity) and loss of the baby (embryo-fetal lethality). Melphalan is a genotoxic drug, and it can cause chromatid or chromosome damage in humans. In animal studies, melphalan caused embryo death and birth defects in rats at doses below the recommended clinical doses. A pregnant woman should be told about the possible risk to her baby.
The background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in the populations this medicine is used for is unknown. For comparison, in the U.S. general population the background risk of major birth defects is 2-4% and of miscarriage is 15-20% of clinically recognized pregnancies.
It isn't known whether melphalan passes into human milk. Many drugs do pass into milk, and melphalan could cause serious adverse reactions in a nursing child, so breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment with Melphalan and for 1 week after the last dose.
⚠️ Talk to your doctor before taking any medicine during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
Dosage Reference
⚠️ Reference ranges from official sources only. Consult your doctor for personalized dosing.
Side Effects & Interactions
Side Effects
No side-effect data recorded yet.