- Data expected H2 2026
- Rare liver disease with no approved treatment, typically concurrent with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
- Second YAQ001 clinical study following successful cirrhosis trial
LONDON, Nov. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Yaqrit, a late clinical-stage company developing life-saving treatments for advanced liver diseases, announced today that the first patient has been treated in a proof-of-concept study of its advanced, oral microbiome treatment, YAQ001, also known as Carbalive, in primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a rare, progressive chronic liver disease that damages the bile ducts and liver. In around 80% of people with PSC the body also attacks the bowel, which can lead to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a devastating condition that affects the lining of the gut leading to severe gut inflammation, bleeding and diarrhea. There are no approved treatments for PSC. The read-out of the study to assess safety and dose-escalation in patients with PSC-IBD is expected in the second half of 2026.
The study is coordinated by researchers and clinicians at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham and supported by non-dilutive funding of $370,000 from the not-for-profit organization, LifeArc. It will add to the growing database of clinical experience with YAQ001, which has already shown multiple positive effects in patients with liver cirrhosis. Yaqrit is preparing to start pivotal European trials in H1 2026 in decompensated cirrhosis and in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to target a CE Mark for YAQ001, given its classification in Europe as a medical device.
“This is a great opportunity for Yaqrit to help patients with PSC and inflammatory bowel disease while remaining highly focused on the treatment of late-stage liver disease,” said Troels Jordansen, Yaqrit’s Chief Executive Officer. “In YAQ001, the company has developed a treatment that addresses toxicities and inflammation that are common in advanced liver disease but also apparent in a broader spectrum of conditions.”
“PSC is a progressive condition that can ultimately lead to liver failure, with no approved treatments today. My sincere thanks to LifeArc, for generously funding this research, to Yaqrit and to the PSC team at Queen Elizabeth, who are working tirelessly to bring hope to patients with PSC-IBD and their families for a new approach to this rare disease,” said Professor Palak Trivedi, Principal Investigator and Associate Professor and Consultant Hepatologist at University of Birmingham.
YAQ001 was discovered at UCL and licensed into its spin-off company, Yaqrit. The design and mechanism of action of YAQ001 sets it apart from most other treatments designed to adjust microbiome imbalance. It is a novel, oral, nanoporous carbon bead adsorbent that is restricted to the gut and not absorbed into the body and has the ability to adsorb both large and small-sized toxins and inflammatory molecules. This is associated with significant reduction in the abundance of harmful bacteria whilst increasing the abundance of ‘good’ bacteria. By harnessing these beneficial effects of YAQ001, Yaqrit aims to provide a pathway to recovery for patients with PSC and inflammatory bowel diseases. The oral availability and high tolerability of YAQ001 make it appropriate for relatively fragile, highly medicalized patients.
“It is uniquely encouraging to see the prospect of a new treatment for diseases such PSC and IBD which have defied treatment for so long,” said Professor Rajiv Jalan, Yaqrit’s Founder and Chief Medical Officer. “The data in cirrhosis of YAQ001 are already highly encouraging, and this latest trial will provide another step in understanding the potential of the treatment.”
The data from Yaqrit’s earlier clinical study recently presented at the 2025 EASL Congress** confirmed that, in patients with cirrhosis, YAQ001 was safe and that it reduced the severity of systemic inflammation and gut permeability. Reducing toxicity of the gut environment in turn encouraged the growth of microbes associated with good gut health and reduced abundance of those associated with poor liver-disease outcomes. YAQ001 impacted positively on the virulence of the microbes and their ability to develop resistance to antibiotics.
**Liu, Jinxia (2025) YAQ001 positively impacts gut microbiome composition, virulence, antimicrobial resistance gene profile resulting in significant effects on ammonia, endotoxemia and inflammation in cirrhosis patients (TOP-218).
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
Yaqrit is a clinical-stage company discovering and 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 Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis
Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis is a rare, chronic liver disease, affecting 5-16 people per 100,000 of the population. In PSC, the bile ducts inside and outside the liver become inflamed and scarred, leading to the build-up of bile and compounding liver damage. The damage ultimately leads to liver failure. In around 80% of people with PSC the body will also attack the bowel, which can lead to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a devastating condition that affects the lining of the gut leading to severe gut inflammation, bleeding and diarrhea. Liver transplant is the only option for treating PSC.
About Decompensated Cirrhosis
In over 10 million patients worldwide per year, liver cirrhosis progresses from an asymptomatic (compensated) form to the decompensated form at which point the liver can no longer undertake its usual functions. As a result, levels of ammonia in the blood can increase and have a toxic impact on the brain, causing hepatic encephalopathy. Patients with decompensated cirrhosis also become highly susceptible to bacterial infections because of immune dysfunction. Multiple organ failure becomes more common. These factors lead to increased morbidity with median survival falling from more than 12 years for compensated cirrhosis to about two years for decompensated cirrhosis.
