Project News

This section keeps you updated on any major developments throughout the course of the A-TANGO project. For A-TANGO info brochures (in various languages), press releases, posters, and more, please visit the Downloads page. To receive our half-yearly newsletter, subscribe here!

  • 25 September 2024

    8th SC Meeting – Focus: Start of clinical G-TAK trial

    The 8th Steering Committee Meeting of A-TANGO will take place remotely (via Zoom) on Wednesday, 25th September 2024 (14:00-17:15 h CET) to receive an update on each work package’s progress and the next steps to get the clinical trial rolling. The project has faced and overcome many severe and unforeseeable hurdles until now. Therefore, we are happy to finally be on track to start the clinical “G-TAK trial” in several liver centers in the United Kingdom, aiming to help critically ill patients who suffer from alcoholic hepatitis and ACLF. During the Steering Committee (SC) Meeting, we also look forward to welcoming our new contract research organisation (CRO)!

  • 9 July 2024

    Different clinical profiles of alcohol-related hepatitis versus infection-induced ACLF

    In this collaborative presentation of A-TANGO’s first major early-career scientists’ (ECS) poster, Annarein Kerbert, a medical doctor (MD, PhD) at Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC, Netherlands), and Julian Pohl, a medical doctor (MD) at the Charité in Berlin (Germany), reveal the different clinical profiles of patients with alcohol-related hepatitis and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) versus infection-induced ACLF. The poster was presented at the annual congress of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL Congress) in Milan, Italy, on Thursday, 6 June 2024 (poster number: THU-057-YI). View the full video on YouTube.

  • 5 July 2024

    The clinical burden of liver cirrhosis in the past years, including the pandemic

    On the final day of this year’s EASL Congress in Milan Italy (Saturday, 8 June 2024), we met with A-TANGO early-career scientist (ECS) Julian Pohl, a medical doctor at the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, at his poster (Poster-ID: SAT-452) to hear about how the clinical burden of cirrhosis and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) has evolved and changed over the past years. The COVID-19 pandemic had particular effects on the hospitalisation rate of cirrhotic patients and the severity and mortality of the disease. Watch the full video on YouTube for more insights.

     

  • 20 June 2024

    New Masterclass video on health economics in liver disease

    In this Masterclass, Prof. Dr. Isabelle Durand-Zaleski – A-TANGO member at partner AP-HP in Paris (France) – provides an introduction on why and how to perform economic evaluations in healthcare, specifically for liver diseases like advanced cirrhosis. The Masterclass was recorded as part of the early-career scientists (ECS) agenda during the (remote) 3rd A-TANGO General Assembly (GA) Meeting on 26th September 2023. View on YouTube!

  • 12 June 2024

    Successful EASL Congress 2024

    EASL Congress in Milan, Italy, was a blast: It was very motivating to welcome interested peers, industry members, and fellow consortium members together with coordinator Rajiv Jalan (UCL) and clinical study supervisor Cornelius Engelmann (Charité) at the A-TANGO Networking Session on Friday, 7 June, and to see the results of young investigators Julian Pohl (Charité) and Annarein Kerbert (LUMC) on their posters. Brief video presentations of both posters will soon be online. Can’t wait to see data from our first G-TAK trial patients as well. Keep up the hard work!

    THU-057 (Annarein Kerbert): Distinguishing clinical profiles in acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF): A comparative analysis of alcohol-related hepatitis versus infection-precipitated ACLF

    SAT-452 (Julian Pohl): Evolving patterns in the clinical burden of liver cirrhosis: Comprehensive analysis from a leading German tertiary center

    Coordinator Rajiv Jalan (UCL) also spoke prominently during Saturday’s lunch-time EASL Studio session about the need to prioritise ACLF stage 2 and stage 3 patients for liver transplantation and about the clear benefits of transplants in this patient group, which otherwise has a death rate of nearly 28%.

  • 10 June 2024

    Status Update

    We’ve hit substantial obstacles, many of which were not foreseeable. The project’s kick-off was in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and the macroeconomic challenges (inflation, loss of time and resources) and other long-term effects (lack of qualified medical personnel) of the pandemic still affect the project today.

    Next were technical difficulties with the initial company that had been commissioned to manufacture the TAK-242 antagonist – an essential component of the proposed combinatorial therapy “G-TAK”. The second component is the commercially available compound G-CSF. Luckily, another company has now been able to successfully manufacture the drug.

    Then, adversity struck again and we lost our former contract research organisation Alpha-BioResearch (ABR) to bankruptcy. An amendment proposal of A-TANGO’s description of action (DoA) was submitted in November 2023 and has since undergone various revisions – a lengthy process that, we hope, will soon be completed, so that the project can continue with the necessary changes (budget cuts, adjustments of work packages, and reduction of patient numbers and participating liver centers) without changing the overall goal and ambition of our undertaking.

  • 7 June 2024

    A-TANGO Networking Session

    Come and join us at this year’s EASL Congress 2024 in Milan, Italy, for the A-TANGO Networking Session. We will have an overview slide deck, info materials, and treats available – can’t wait to catch up with you! The half-hour session is intended as a meeting point for consortium members, study site investigators (that will implement the G-TAK study), colleagues from sister projects, as well as industry members and potential investors to chat and network. There is no formal agenda, but plenty of time to mingle, socialize, and plan collaborations.

    • When: Friday, 7 June 2024, 10:00-10:30 h
    • Where: Track Hub “Cirrhosis & Complications”

    Swing by the A-TANGO totem at the EASL Community Hub if you have time!

     

  • 19 April 2024

    A-TANGO supports World Liver Day!

    The A-TANGO consortium supports World Liver Day on April 19th as we stand for the active fight against acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). Currently, there are barely any treatment options for patients suffering from late-stage cirrhosis, a condition that is responsible for approximately 2.4% of deaths worldwide annually and can have various causes – including bacterial or viral infections, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), or alcohol abuse. Sadly, up to 40% of patients who come to the hospital with decompensated cirrhosis / ACLF die. A-TANGO strives to increase the survival rate with G-TAK – a novel combinatorial therapy, and to decrease the burden on the national healthcare systems, which is caused by a large percentage of patients who never recover fully and require long-term care.

  • 28 March 2024

    The importance of an up-to-date strategy for successful market access in healthcare

    “It’s very important to keep your market access strategy up to date” and start strategic planning early for successful commercialization, following the development of a novel drug or therapy – Louise Perrault, President and CEO at IMAC – International Market Access Consulting (based in Switzerland) during yesterday’s insightful Masterclass about reimbursement in healthcare. The online Masterclass “Reimbursement in Healthcare – with relevance to new therapies in cirrhosis and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF)” was open to professionals in liver research, biomedicine, or healthcare, and took place on Wednesday, 27 March 2024 (see slide deck). Thank you, Louise, for this excellent learning opportunity!

  • 1 February 2024

    Register now for exciting Masterclass on Reimbursement in Healthcare

    Register here – free of charge! A-TANGO is opening its educational doors to anyone interested in extending their knowledge, specifically to the science and healthcare community: Louise Perrault, President and CEO of IMAC – International Market Access Consulting GmbH, gives a very relevant online Masterclass (via Zoom) about “Reimbursement in Healthcare – with relevance to new therapies in cirrhosis and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF)” on Wednesday, 27 March 2024, 4-5 pm CET. Registration closes on 26 March 2024. Registrants will receive the Zoom link in due time via email.

  • 31 January 2024

    7th SC Meeting in light of the necessary amendment of the action and the upcoming periodic reporting

    Nearly 3 years into the project, we had our 7th Steering Committee (SC) Meeting today. In light of the currently ongoing proposed amendment of the initially planned action and the upcoming periodic reporting, we still face serious challenges and hurdles, but we are now ready to start the clinical trial and are extremely grateful for the efforts made by all partners to make this happen. Bringing our novel G-TAK therapy from bench to bedside to treat late-stage cirrhosis, aka acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), has proven to be a difficult undertaking, especially following the severe macroeconomic challenges of the years following the pandemic.

  • 9 January 2024

    New podcast episode “The Patient-Doctor Relationship and Informed Consent” with Thomas Berg & Cornelius Engelmann

    Explore the complexity of “The Patient-Doctor Relationship and Informed Consent” in the newest podcast episode of the “Interviews with Experts” series by Frances Hand. Join the conversation with Prof. Thomas Berg and Dr. Cornelius Engelmann as they dive into the significance of a robust doctor-patient relationship. Gain insights into the challenges surrounding informed consent amidst stressful decision-making.

    Listen now on 🔗 Spotify!

  • 27 November 2023

    3-min survey about the effects of macroeconomic challenges on research in Europe

    European researchers, especially project coordinators & supervisors of clinical trials, are asked to answer a few questions to help us understand how COVID-19, inflation, lack of qualified human resources, and other macro-economic factors and challenges have affected your research in the past 4 years: Click here to access the survey. It only takes 3 minutes to complete the survey and participation is entirely anonymous (unless an email address is entered at the end to receive the results of the survey once they are ready). We intend to collect more than 100 responses before closing the survey. – Thank you kindly for supporting our initiative!

  • 26 September 2023

    3rd A-TANGO GA Meeting – remote

    A-TANGO’s 3rd General Assembly (GA) Meeting took place via Zoom on Tuesday, 26 September 2023. We heard about everyone’s progress and the details of the planned start of the clinical G-TAK study. Besides updates on all work packages (WPs), we also discussed current financial issues and decided on mitigation measures to move the project forward. The early-career scientists (ECS) programme was a highlight again! Prof. Isabelle Durand-Zaleski (APHP) gave a fascinating and insightful Masterclass lecture on “Health Economics in Liver Disease” and Annarein Kerbert (LUMC) presented the progress of the ancillary studies and related manuscripts.

  • 28 June 2023

    Successful 5th Steering Committee Meeting

    Two years and four months into the project, A-TANGO has overcome tremendous challenges and is coming closer to enrolling the first late-stage cirrhosis patient into the clinical “G-TAK” study in autumn. At today’s 5th Steering Committee Meeting (28 June), we realized how far we’ve come and that we may just get to tackle that very serious disease, called acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). A big thank you to the whole team for all your hard work! Big efforts often require tough decisions, but what counts most is that the entire consortium is committed to bringing this novel combinatorial therapy to those who desperately need it – the patients.

  • 22 June 2023

    Symposium on late-stage cirrhosis treatment at EASL Congress on Saturday

    With 9000 participants from 120 countries & 2500 submitted abstracts, “EASL Congress 2023” is already a success again. Don’t forget to attend this symposium on “Novelties in the therapeutic landscape for acute decompensation of cirrhosis” on Saturday, 24 June 2023 from 8:30 – 09:45 CEST (room: Strauss 1). A-TANGO coordinator Prof. Rajiv Jalan from EF CLIF, Dr. Minneke Coenraad from Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), and Dr. Cornelius Engelmann from the Charité will discuss their insights, including A-TANGO’s G-TAK study.

  • 21 June 2023

    A-TANGO members’ sessions at EASL Congress – swing by!

    A-TANGO scientists host sessions and present their work at “EASL Congress 2023” in Vienna, Austria. Come and visit Dr. Annarein Kerbert from Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC) at her poster on Thursday, 22 Jun, 16:15 – 16:21 (room: Track hub “Cirrhosis & complications”), join the poster tour by Dr. Cornelius Engelmann from the Charité on Friday, 23 June, from 10:00 – 10:30 (room: Track hub “Metabolism, alcohol & toxicity”), and listen to EASL Secretary General Prof. Dr. Thomas Berg from Leipzig University Medical Center (ULEI) during the EASL Studio on Friday, 23 June, from 12:30 – 13:00 (room: Hepatology Arena).

  • 15 December 2022

    Press Release on Engelmann et al. 2022 paper

    What’s the scientific basis for our new combinatorial treatment of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF)? This new press release by the European Foundation for the Study of Chronic Liver Failure (EF CLIF) about the recently published study by Dr. med. Cornelius Engelmann and colleagues in the Journal of Hepatology gives answers!

  • 14 November 2022

    Have a look at our most recent newsletter

    Have a look at our 2nd newsletter – The first research period of A-TANGO has been completed, the report has been submitted to the European Commission (EC), new Masterclasses and interview videos are on YouTube, and we have a new project manager. You can access previous newsletters, flyers, posters, templates, and more on the Downloads page.

  • 10 November 2022

    4th SC Meeting on 29 November 2022 (remote)

    Save the date – The 4th Steering Committee (SC) Meeting will take place on Tuesday, 29 November 2022, online (via Zoom) from 9 am – 4 pm CET. Check your inbox for details from the project management office. We are very much looking forward to seeing you all soon, if not in person, then at least on-screen! You can register here on the A-TANGO Meetings page.

  • 31 October 2022

    1st periodic report submitted

    The project’s periodic report has just been submitted to the European Commission (EC). Read about A-TANGO’s progress in our public summary of the 1st research period (1st of March 2021 – 31st of August 2022). You can also download the summary from the Downloads page. The report contains the results of all work packages (WPs) so far, as well as the progress beyond the state of the art, expected results until the end of the project, and their potential impact and societal benefit.

  • 24 October 2022

    Free access to EASL educational tools for A-TANGO trainees

    All A-TANGO early-career scientists (ECS) can now benefit from EASL’s extensive educational tools and the Young Investigators (YI) community. EASL campus is currently open access for individuals with a MyEASL account. Soon, some of the content will be restricted to EASL members. Therefore, EASL invites the project’s ECS to create a MyEASL account and request a complimentary membership. Feel free to contact Wouter Kruijs (Association & Community Services Manager at EASL) if you have questions. More info.

  • 25 September 2022

    Masterclass by Thomas Berg now online

    In our newest Masterclass on YouTube, Prof. Dr. Thomas Berg, Head of Hepatology at ULEI and Secretary General of EASL, provides an in-depth overview of the current clinical challenges and newest treatment advances for patients suffering from cirrhosis and ACLF. The Masterclass was recorded during the 2nd A-TANGO General Assembly (GA) Meeting in Barcelona, Spain, on 11 May 2022. More E-Learning.

  • 22 September 2022

    Watch our video series from #ILC2022

    Following the patients’ interest in A-TANGO, we experimented with a new communication format during the International Liver Congress (#ILC2022) in London in June 2022 and recorded several video interviews by representatives of the European Liver Patients’ Association (ELPA) with Dr. med. Cornelius Engelmann (Charité), co-coordinator of A-TANGO and supervisor of the clinical G-TAK study. Watch the videos!

  • 10 August 2022

    1st official A-TANGO publication

    Our J Hep article by Engelmann et al. (2022) highlights the scientific basis of A-TANGO and the therapeutic potential of the G-TAK therapy for improved outcomes in cirrhosis and ACLF patients – a definite must-read. The authors demonstrated, using mouse models, that the combination of G-CSF (which can promote liver regeneration) and TAK-242 (which inhibits a receptor that plays a key role in inflammation) could be effective for the treatment of ACLF. Recruitment for the study starts in 2023 – stay tuned!

  • 8 August 2022

    Masterclass by Daniel Green on YouTube

    Daniel Green – project partner, entrepreneur, and CEO of Yaqrit (YAQ) – held an interactive and fun Masterclass on “Medical Device Design, Biotechnology and Entrepreneurship” during the 2nd A-TANGO General Assembly (GA) Meeting in Barcelona, Spain, on 11 May 2022. The Masterclass is now available on YouTube. If you want to learn more, check out our E-Learning page.

  • 24 June 2022

    Meet us at #ILC2022 on Friday, 24 June 2022

    Don’t miss the opportunity to meet the A-TANGO team and receive important information about the project, the clinical trial, and its sister Horizon 2020-funded projects DECISION and MICROB-PREDICT  during the International Liver Congress (#ILC2022) in London. Come find us near the EASL Community Hub on Friday, 24 June 2022, from 12-13h GTM.

  • 28 January 2022

    A-TANGO at Falk Symposium on Alcoholic Liver Disease

    From 27-28 January 2022, the Falk Foundation Symposium on the “Pathophysiology and Clinical Management of Alcoholic Liver Disease” took place in a registration-based online format. A-TANGO coordinator, Prof. Rajiv Jalan (EF CLIF, UCL, HPX), presented a talk on “Mechanisms of recovery from and strategies for survival of severe alcoholic hepatitis and ACLF” and discussed important unsolved questions regarding the recovery from cirrhosis and episodes of ACLF.

  • 22 December 2021

    Scroll through our 1st newsletter and meet our early-career scientists

    The 1st A-TANGO newsletter is out – Learn about the project’s progress, our early-career scientists (ECS), this year’s patient event about cirrhosis and ACLF, and upcoming scientific conferences. If you haven’t received our newsletter in your inbox, but would like to stay updated on a half-yearly basis via email, please subscribe here. Let us wish you all Happy Holidays & a healthy New Year!

  • 30 November 2021

    A-TANGO info brochure now available in 4 more languages

    The A-TANGO info brochure is now available in 4 more languages (DE, ES, FR, NL), each in a print + web version. Feel free to download, print, and share! We are getting ready for the G-TAK study to treat ACLF, occurring in late-stage cirrhosis, and will use the info brochure to inform patients participating in the study, as well as their relatives, about the bigger scope of the A-TANGO project. A big thank you goes out to the volunteer translators within the consortium!

  • 20 September 2021

    Successful 2nd SC Meeting

    Congrats to all work package leaders for the great progress made on their tasks, and for the detailed updates and presentations during the 2nd Steering Committee (SC) Meeting on 20 September 2021. The preparations for getting 30 European liver centres on board, receiving all necessary ethics approvals, and setting up the clinical trial (including manufacturing the drugs for the combinatorial G-TAK therapy) are at full speed. Although we had lots of fun on Zoom, we still can’t wait to meet in person soon. Hopefully, for the 2nd General Assembly (GA) meeting next year!

  • 2 September 2021

    Cornelius Engelmann introduces A-TANGO on YouTube

    Watch this introductory video about A-TANGO. It is a recording of a joint patient event that informed the liver patient community in Europe about A-TANGO and two related Horizon 2020-funded cirrhosis projects, namely DECISION and MICROB-PREDICT. At the beginning of the video, the project’s scientific coordinator, Prof. Dr. Rajiv Jalan, emphasises the urgent need of novel therapies for late-stage cirrhosis, before the clinical study supervisor, Dr. Cornelius Engelmann, explains the details of the new combinatorial therapy ‘G-TAK’ that A-TANGO tests.

  • 27 August 2021

    Invitation to join the Liver Health Helix

    The ‘Helix’ will form a community hub of peers that allows you to collaborate and also follow the A-TANGO project’s progress, activities, and results. Within the Helix, you can share and join specific collaboration opportunities related to cirrhosis, ACLF, and liver health. You can also invite stakeholders outside of the network who may be interested in this field. Join the Liver Health Helix and click “Follow”. You will then be notified of new opportunities according to your chosen interests.

  • 30 June 2021

    Stakeholder Map & Dissemination Plan ready

    We have developed both the “Stakeholder Map” (D7.1) as well as the Dissemination & Communication Plan” (D7.2), outlining in detail the communication strategy, responsibilities, and target release dates. The deliverable reports are confidential but available for download from the intranet for all project members.

  • 17 March 2021

    Successful Kick-off Meeting

    A-TANGO successfully kicked off in form of an online meeting on 17th March 2021. Consortium members outlined the work ahead over the next 12 months, elected the Impact Board (IB), made first decisions, and incorporated valuable feedback from the scientific and ethical advisory board (SEAB). A welcome break from all the science was a trivia quiz during a 10 min break in the afternoon!

  • 1 March 2021

    A-TANGO starts today

    On 1st March 2021, the 5-year long, pan-European research project begins. All of us are excited to roll up our sleeves and get to work! A total of eight work packages (WPs) will cover the entire value chain of research and development, from discovery to clinical validation and market preparation. We are looking forward to meet all project members at the virtual kick-off meeting on 17th March 2021.