Inclusion Criteria:

- Histologically confirmed acute myeloid leukemia according to the WHO classification

- Relapsed or refractory disease, meeting 1 of the following criteria:

- Unresponsive to initial treatment

- Recurrent disease after treatment with prior conventional or high-dose
chemotherapy with or without stem cell support

- CNS involvement allowed provided there are no residual leukemic cells detected in the
cerebrospinal fluid after intrathecal or radiation chemotherapy

- Performance status - ECOG 0-2

- At least 4 weeks

- Bilirubin no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal* (ULN) (unless due to
Gilbert's syndrome)

- AST and ALT no greater than 3 times ULN*

- Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL*

- No symptomatic congestive heart failure

- No unstable angina pectoris

- No cardiac arrhythmia

- Resting ejection fraction at least 50%*

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- No prior allergy to study medications

- No ongoing or active infection requiring IV antibiotics

- No other concurrent uncontrolled illness

- No serious medical or psychiatric illness that would preclude giving informed consent

- More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (except hydroxyurea) (6 weeks for
nitrosoureas or mitomycin)

- No other concurrent chemotherapy

- No concurrent hormonal therapy except steroids for adrenal failure and hormones for
non-disease-related conditions (e.g., insulin for diabetes)

- More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy

- No concurrent palliative radiotherapy

- Prior therapy with antisense oligonucleotides allowed provided no toxic effects were
experienced that were directly attributable to the antisense agents

- No other concurrent investigational agents

- No other concurrent anticancer therapy

- No concurrent chronic systemic anticoagulant therapy for medical conditions (e.g.,
prior deep vein thrombosis or atrial fibrillation)

- Concurrent heparin to maintain central line patency (i.e., catheter flush) is
allowed

- No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients