This phase II trial studies how well therapeutic angiotensin-(1-7) works as second-line therapy or third-line therapy in treating patients with metastatic sarcoma that cannot be removed by surgery. Therapeutic angiotensin-(1-7) may stop the growth of sarcoma by blocking blood flow to the tumor.

Funding Source - FDA Office of Orphan Drug Products (OOPD)

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To evaluate the response rate of chemotherapy-refractory sarcomas to 20 mg per day of single-agent Ang(Angiotensin)-(1-7) or 10 mg per day of single-agent Ang-(1-7) if excessive toxicity is observed at the 20 mg dose.

II. To evaluate toxicities associated with single-agent Ang-(1-7) when given to patients with chemotherapy-refractory sarcomas.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To assess time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) in patients treated with Ang-(1-7).

II. To evaluate accumulation of Ang-(1-7) after 21 days of continuous treatment and quantify changes in plasma levels of angiogenic peptides including placental growth factor (PlGF).

OUTLINE:

Patients receive therapeutic angiotensin-(1-7) subcutaneously (SC) once daily in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed every 3 months for 2 years, every 6 months for 3 years, and then annually thereafter.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients must have a histologically or cytologically confirmed sarcoma that is metastatic or unresectable and have progressed despite 1 or 2 prior treatment regimens with chemotherapy or targeted anti-cancer agents such as imatinib
• Prior treatment: >= 4 weeks since completion of radiation or chemotherapy, except for >= 6 weeks for Melphalan, nitrosoureas, or mitomycin-C
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status =< 2
• Absolute neutrophil count >= 1,500/Microliter (mcL)
• Platelets >= 100,000/mcL
• Total bilirubin =< 2 mg/dL
• Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase [SGOT])/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase [SGPT]) < 3 X upper limit or normal (ULN)
• Estimated (est.) creatinine clearance > 30 mL/min
• Measurable disease, defined as at least one lesion that can be accurately measured in at least one dimension as > 10 mm
• Women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or double-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 a written informed consent document

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients may not be receiving any other investigational agents for cancer treatment
• Patients with evidence of bleeding diathesis are ineligible
• No concurrent treatment with angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)
• Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, uncontrolled hypertension or hypotension, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
• Pregnant and nursing women are excluded from this study