Combination Chemotherapy and Ponatinib Hydrochloride in Treating Patients With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Inclusion Criteria: * Diagnosis of one of the following: * Previously untreated Ph-positive ALL \[either t(9;22) and/or bcr-abl positive\] (includes patients initiated on first course of hyper-CVAD before cytogenetics known) or with lymphoid accelerated or blast phase chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) * Previously treated Ph-positive ALL or CML (in accelerated phase or blast phase), after 1-2 courses of chemotherapy with or without other tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) * If they achieved complete response (CR), they are assessable only for event-free and overall survival, or * If they failed to achieve CR, they are assessable for CR, event-free, and overall survival * Performance status ≤ 2 (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group \[ECOG\] scale, Appendix E) * Adequate liver function as defined by the following criteria: * Total serum bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN), unless due to Gilbert's syndrome * Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ≤ 2 x ULN * Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ≤ 2.5 x ULN * Adequate pancreatic function as defined by the following criteria: * Serum lipase and amylase ≤ 1.5 x ULN * For females of childbearing potential, a negative pregnancy test must be documented prior to randomization * Female and male patients who are fertile must agree to use an effective form of contraception with their sexual partners from randomization through 4 months after the end of treatment * Adequate cardiac function as assessed clinically by history and p…