SUMMARYAclarubicin (ACM), 25 mg/m2daily for seven days, was administered as induction therapy to 40 patients with relapsing or refractory acute leukaemias. Eight complete (CR) and 1 partial (PR) remission were achieved in 29 evaluable AML patients (31%). A high CR rate was induced in patients treated at first relapse (6 out of 12 patients). A small proportion of AML resistant to daunorubicin or doxorubicin responded to ACM (3 out of 17 patients). Median remission duration was 5.5 months.In a pilot study ACM was combined with cytarabine for remission induction in 18 previously untreated patients or patients at first relapse with AML. Both drugs were administered on 7 consecutive days. CR was induced in 13 patients (72%). From these results it appears that the present scheduling of ACM in single agent and combined chemotherapy is effective in remission induction in previously untreated or relapsing AML.