6,8-Bis(Benzylthio)Octanoic Acid, Cytarabine, and Daunorubicin Hydrochloride in Treating Older Patients With Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Inclusion Criteria:

Patients must have histologically or cytologically documented newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (non-acute promyelocytic leukemia [APL]) that has not yet been treated; hydroxyurea (Hydrea) and tretinoin (ATRA) previous treatments are acceptable
Hydroxyurea may be used to control leukocytosis and can be taken until day 1 of therapy; patients with persisting, non-hematologic, non-infectious toxicities from prior treatment =< grade 2 are eligible, but must be documented as such
Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of =< 3 and fit for induction therapy in the opinion of the treating physician
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)(serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase [SGOT])/alanine aminotransferase (ALT)(serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase [SGPT]) =< 3 X institutional upper limit of normal (=< 5 X upper limit of normal [ULN] if liver metastases present)
Bilirubin =< 1.5 X ULN
Creatinine =< 1.5 mg/dL or 133 umol/L
International normalized ration (INR) < 1.5
Albumin >= 2.0 g/dL
Women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation; should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately
Ability to understand and the willingness to sign an Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved informed consent document

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients who have received any therapy other than hydroxyurea with the purpose of treating their AML are not eligible
Patients having received prior radiotherapy, treatment with cytotoxic agents (except CPI-613), treatment with biologic agents or any anti-cancer therapy for a non-AML malignancy within the 2 weeks prior to treatment with CPI-613, or those who have not fully recovered from the acute, non-hematological, non-infectious toxicities of any prior treatment with cytotoxic drugs, radiotherapy or other anti-cancer modalities (returned to baseline status as noted before most recent treatment)
Patients that have received a chemotherapy regimen with stem cell support in the previous 6 months
Patients with known central nervous system involvement should be excluded from this clinical trial
History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to CPI-613
Uncontrolled concurrent illness including, but not limited to symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
Patients with large and recurrent pleural or peritoneal effusions requiring frequent drainage (e.g. weekly); patients with any amount of clinically significant pericardial effusion
Patients with known human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
A history of additional risk factors for Torsade de Pointes (e.g., clinically significant heart failure, hypokalemia, family history of long QT syndrome)
Pregnant women are excluded from this study; breastfeeding should be discontinued