First patient treated in Phase 2 A-TANGO trial for acute-on-chronic liver failure
- Randomized phase 2 study evaluating Yaqrit’s toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) antagonist YAQ005 alone and in combination with G-CSF for acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF)
- Investigational combination G-TAK is designed to reduce systemic inflammation and support liver regeneration
- Initial data expected in Q3 2027
CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, July 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Yaqrit, a late clinical-stage company developing life-saving treatments for advanced liver diseases, today announced that the first patient has been treated in A-TANGO (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT06890039), a randomized, double-blind, phase 2 study evaluating Yaqrit’s TLR4 antagonist YAQ005, alone and in combination with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), for the treatment of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). The patient was treated at the Royal Free Hospital, London, UK, one of five participating European clinical centers. Initial data are expected in Q3 2027.
“Treating the first patient in A-TANGO marks a key milestone for Yaqrit and, more importantly, for patients with ACLF who urgently need effective treatment options,” said Troels Jordansen, Chief Executive Officer of Yaqrit. “We believe YAQ005, both as monotherapy and in combination with G-CSF, has the potential to target key drivers of ACLF and improve outcomes for this critically ill patient population.”
ACLF is a life-threatening syndrome in patients with cirrhosis, characterized by systemic inflammation, liver failure, multi-organ dysfunction and a high risk of mortality. Current treatment options remain limited, with care focused largely on organ support and, for a minority of eligible patients, liver transplantation. YAQ005 was initially developed by Takeda for treatment of sepsis, where it was shown to be safe and successfully targeted the mechanisms underlying ACLF.
A-TANGO is evaluating the safety, dosing and efficacy of YAQ005 alone and in combination with G-CSF, a drug commonly used by blood doctors to increase white cells, in 78 patients with steroid-resistant alcohol-related hepatitis and ACLF. Key clinical endpoints include effect on organ function and survival.
“Patients with steroid-resistant alcohol-related hepatitis and ACLF face an exceptionally high mortality and there is an urgent need for therapies that can both control systemic inflammation and promote liver regeneration,” says Prof. Dr. med. Cornelius Engelmann, Chief Investigator of A-TANGO; Professor of Hepatology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. “We hope this study will bring us closer to a much-needed new treatment option.”
“Despite the significant global burden of advanced liver disease, therapeutic innovation has lagged behind many other areas of medicine,” explains Prof. Dr. Rajiv Jalan, Professor of Hepatology, UCL, Founder of Yaqrit and Coordinator of the A-TANGO project. “G-TAK is designed to simultaneously address two key features of ACLF, excessive inflammation and impaired liver regeneration. By combining these two medications, we hope to improve survival of patients with ACLF, facing an urgent unmet need.”
The A-TANGO study is being conducted through a European consortium of 13 academic and clinical institutions and is supported predominantly by funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under grant agreement No. 945096.
Contact Company
Troels Jordansen
Email: Troels@Yaqrit.com
Tel: +31 6 1834 5326
Contact Investors
Mary-Ann Chang
Email: Mary-Ann@Yaqrit.com
Tel: +44 7483 284 853
About Yaqrit Discovery Limited
Yaqrit is a late clinical-stage company developing innovative treatments for patients with advanced liver disease at high risk of hospitalization and death. Yaqrit’s pipeline includes three novel therapeutics at phase 2-3 of development and two medical devices providing acute and chronic treatments for advanced cirrhosis and acute-on-chronic liver failure where there is an urgent need for more effective treatments. More information is available at www.Yaqrit.com
About Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure
Globally, around 35% of 10.6 million patients with acutely decompensated cirrhosis have ACLF, rising to 65% among South Asia populations. Current outcomes for patients remain poor, with 58% mortality in the first 90 days.
About Hepyx Limited
Hepyx, a wholly owned subsidiary of Yaqrit, owns the development and commercialization rights to YAQ005 and its combinations, including G-TAK.
About UCL Liver Failure Group
The UCL Liver Failure Group (part of the Institute for Liver and Digestive Health) is a world-leading medical research team based at the Royal Free Hospital in London. Led by Professor Rajiv Jalan, the group’s goal is to understand how liver failure works and invent breakthrough treatments.
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