Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of non-APL AML (FAB subtypes M0 - M7 but excluding M3) confirmed by myeloperoxidase stain and/or flow cytometry.

• For patients of age 18 or older - only refractory or relapsed AML will be included. Refractory disease is defined as newly diagnosed patients who fulfill ONE of the following criteria:

  • Patient aged 60 years or younger, who have failed to achieve a complete remission after at least two cycles of front line induction chemotherapy.
  • Patients of any age who have AML, that is post myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), who failed to achieve a complete remission after at least one cycle of front line induction chemotherapy.
  • Patients aged 60 years or older who failed to achieve a complete remission after at least one cycle of front line induction chemotherapy.
• Newly diagnosed patients aged 55 or older who will not receive intensive anti-leukemia chemotherapy can also be enrolled.
• Post-myelodysplasia AML and secondary AML are included.
• Stem cell transplantation failures are included.
• Karnofsky performance status greater or equal to 50%.
• Adequate renal function (creatinine < 1.5 x ULN or creatinine clearance > 60 ml/min) and hepatic function (transaminases < 2.5 x ULN, serum total bilirubin < 3 mg/dl).
• Females of childbearing potential must have a negative serum pregnancy test prior to enrollment on the study, and both women and men must use an effective birth control method while on the study.
• Signed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Newly diagnosed patients older than age 55 who:

  • Refuse chemotherapy when their treating physician recommends standard anti-leukemia induction chemotherapy.
  • Have a Karnofsky performance status of greater or equal to 70%, aged < 75 years and has no prior myelodysplastic syndrome.
  • Have a risk/benefit ratio that gives their treating physician good reason for administration of standard anti-leukemia induction chemotherapy.
• Patients who have already been treated with arsenics.
• CML in blastic crisis.
• Patients with cardiopathies including recurrent supraventricular arrhythmia and any type of sustained ventricular arrhythmia or conduction block (A-V block grade II or III, LBBB).
• Patients with HIV.
• Pregnant or breastfeeding women.
• QT interval > 460 msec in the presence of serum potassium > 4.0 mEq/L and magnesium > 1.8 mg/dL.
• Pre-existing neurotoxicity/neuropathy of Grade 2 or greater according to the NCI Common Toxicity Criteria Version 2.
• History of preexisting neurological disorders (grade 3 or higher by the NCI Common Toxicity Criteria; in particular, seizure disorders).
• Patients with an underlying medical condition that could be aggravated by the treatment or life threatening disease unrelated to AML as evaluated by the enrolling physician.
• Patients with active second malignancy, excluding adequately treated basal or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, or carcinoma in situ of the cervix.
• Inability or unwillingness to comply with the treatment protocol.