First Patient Treated in Phase 2 A-TANGO Trial Evaluating Yaqrit's TLR4 Antagonist YAQ005 for Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure
核心洞察
Yaqrit (搜索) announced the first patient has been treated in the randomized, double-blind Phase 2 A-TANGO trial evaluating the TLR4 (搜索) antagonist YAQ005 (搜索) alone and in combination with G-CSF for acute-on-chronic liver failure (搜索) (ACLF).
The study will enroll 78 patients with steroid-resistant alcohol-related hepatitis (搜索) and ACLF across five European clinical centers, with initial data expected in Q3 2027.
ACLF carries a 58% mortality rate within 90 days, and current treatment options remain limited to organ support and liver transplantation for a minority of eligible patients.
The first patient has been treated in the A-TANGO trial (NCT06890039), a randomized, double-blind, Phase 2 study evaluating Yaqrit (搜索)'s toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4 (搜索)) antagonist YAQ005 (搜索) for the treatment of acute-on-chronic liver failure (搜索) (ACLF), the company announced on July 13, 2026. The patient was treated at the Royal Free Hospital in London, UK, one of five participating European clinical centers. Initial data from the study are expected in Q3 2027.
"Treating the first patient in A-TANGO marks a key milestone for Yaqrit (搜索) and, more importantly, for patients with ACLF who urgently need effective treatment options," said Troels Jordansen, Chief Executive Officer of Yaqrit. "We believe YAQ005 (搜索), 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."
The Unmet Need in ACLF
ACLF is a life-threatening syndrome occurring in patients with cirrhosis (搜索), characterized by systemic inflammation, liver failure, multi-organ dysfunction, and a high risk of mortality. Globally, approximately 35% of the 10.6 million patients with acutely decompensated cirrhosis develop ACLF, with rates rising to 65% among South Asian populations. Current outcomes remain poor, with a 58% mortality rate within the first 90 days.
Current treatment options for ACLF are limited, with care focused largely on organ support and, for a minority of eligible patients, liver transplantation. YAQ005 (搜索) was initially developed by Takeda (搜索) for the treatment of sepsis, where it was shown to be safe and successfully targeted the mechanisms underlying ACLF.
Trial Design and Endpoints
The A-TANGO study will evaluate the safety, dosing, and efficacy of YAQ005 (搜索) alone and in combination with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in 78 patients with steroid-resistant alcohol-related hepatitis (搜索) and ACLF. G-CSF is a drug commonly used by hematologists to increase white blood cell counts. The investigational combination, referred to as G-TAK, is designed to simultaneously address two key features of ACLF: excessive inflammation and impaired liver regeneration. Key clinical endpoints include effect on organ function and survival.
"Patients with steroid-resistant alcohol-related hepatitis (搜索) 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," said Prof. Dr. med. Cornelius Engelmann, Chief Investigator of A-TANGO and Professor of Hepatology at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. "We hope this study will bring us closer to a much-needed new treatment option."
A Dual-Mechanism Approach
Prof. Dr. Rajiv Jalan, Professor of Hepatology at UCL, Founder of Yaqrit (搜索), and Coordinator of the A-TANGO project, emphasized the rationale behind the combination strategy. "Despite the significant global burden of advanced liver disease, therapeutic innovation has lagged behind many other areas of medicine," Jalan said. "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. Hepyx (搜索), a wholly owned subsidiary of Yaqrit (搜索), holds the development and commercialization rights to YAQ005 (搜索) and its combinations, including G-TAK.