We celebrate the new consortium publication by Cornelius Engelmann et al. (2026) that introduces the A-TANGO organ failure (OF) score, a refined tool for diagnosing acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) in patients with cirrhosis and acute decompensation. Developed using data from 3,896 patients in Europe and Latin America and validated in large cohorts from India and China, the score updates thresholds for organ dysfunction and adds a new ACLF grade 4 to better capture severely ill patients. Compared with the widely used CLIF-C OF score, A-TANGO improves detection of ACLF (24% to 36%) while maintaining strong prediction of 28- and 90-day mortality. The study also introduces two related prognostic models. Together, these tools provide a more accurate framework for risk stratification, treatment evaluation, and the design of clinical trials in ACLF.

We are pleased to announce that the European Commission has approved a 6-month extension for A-TANGO. This extension compensates for delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and enables several critical next steps, including the manufacture of a new batch of study drugs, the opening of additional clinical sites in the United Kingdom, progress toward regulatory approval in Europe (and potentially India), the initiation of patient inclusion in the G-TAK trial (likely starting in April 2026), and the development of a credible scenario for a possible further project extension (ideally 12 more months). The 6-month extension provides renewed momentum to move forward with focus and urgency toward our goal of delivering a much-needed novel therapy for patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis, decompensated cirrhosis, and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF).

We are celebrating the completion of the first site visit for A-TANGO's clinical trial: Thanks to huge efforts by Yaqrit and the whole team, we have officially kicked off our Phase 2a trial, evaluating the safety of a novel intravenous TLR-4 antagonist in combination with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) for the treatment of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) grades 1 and 2. We call this new combinatorial therapy "G-TAK". This novel therapy offers new hope for liver failure patients and aims to restore some liver functionality and improve patient outcomes. A huge thank you goes out to the Royal Free Hospital, UK, for their warm welcome and dedication to patient-first research. Special recognition goes to the clinical study supervisor Prof. Cornelius Engelmann from the Charité and to Clinical Operations Lead Carrie Morgan from Yaqrit.