The synthesis of CMDA (VII) was accomplished using a modified version of the published procedures: The di-tert-butyl 4-nitrobenzoyl-L-glutamate (II) was reduced to di-tert-butyl 4-aminobenzoyl-L-glutamate (III) using transfer hydrogenation. The reductive amination of (III) with chloroethanal yielded the monofunctional di-tert-butyl 4-[(2-chloroethyl)amino]benzoyl-L-glutamate (IV), which was N-alkylated with ethylene oxide to give di-tert-butyl 4-[(2-chloroethyl)(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]benzoyl-L-glutamate (V). Reaction of (V) with methanesulfonyl chloride at 5 C yielded di-tert-butyl 4-[(2-chloroethyl)[2-(mesyloxy)ethyl]amino]benzoyl-L-glutamate (VI). Treatment of (VI) with formic acid followed by lyophilization gave the diacid, 4-[(2-chloroethyl)[2-(mesyloxy)ethyl]amino]benzoyl-L-glutamic acid (VII).