Yaqrit Publishes YAQ001 Microbiome Data From 28-Patient Cirrhosis Sub-Study

Yaqrit announced on October 22, 2026 that Liver International published an exploratory microbiome analysis of YAQ001, its investigational microbiome treatment also known as Carbalive, in patients with cirrhosis. The GlobeNewswire release said the analysis comes from a 28-patient sub-study of CARBALIVE-SAFETY, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in which patients received YAQ001 or placebo once daily for 12 weeks.

What the YAQ001 Cirrhosis Analysis Found

Compared with placebo, YAQ001 was associated with a higher abundance of microbes linked to improved gut health and a lower abundance of species linked to infections and poor outcomes in liver disease, according to the release. Overall microbial diversity was unchanged. Genes encoding virulence factors and antibiotic resistance genes were also less abundant, and there were trends toward improvement in markers of gut permeability and systemic inflammation, most of which remained within normal ranges.

The company said the findings are exploratory and consistent with observations in several pre-clinical studies, and with its hypothesis on YAQ001's mechanism of action that will be tested in larger studies. The study was led by researchers at University College London with collaborators across Europe and was funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 programme under Grant Agreement 634579.

"These data give us confidence in the potential of YAQ001 to improve the gut microbial balance and support its continued development as a potential new treatment option for conditions associated with many diseases associated with gut dysbiosis and in particular, complications of cirrhosis," said Rajiv Jalan, Professor of Hepatology at UCL, Honorary Consultant at Royal Free Hospital, Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Yaqrit, and co-senior author of the paper.

YAQ001 is a novel, oral, nanoporous carbon bead adsorbent designed to adjust microbiome imbalance without direct antimicrobial activity, the release said. It is restricted to the gut and has an extensive adsorbent surface area intended to adsorb both large and small toxins and inflammatory molecules. All development and commercialization rights to YAQ001 are owned by Enterosorb Limited, a subsidiary of Yaqrit.

Yaqrit's Funding and Study History

Yaqrit is a clinical-stage UK biopharmaceutical company developing five therapeutic candidates for advanced liver disease, including oral microbiome therapeutics, an extracorporeal liver dialysis device, and ammonia scavengers targeting acute-on-chronic liver failure, decompensated cirrhosis, and hepatic encephalopathy, according to akta.pro company records. The same records show the company was founded in 2014 as a spin-off from University College London and has received more than $45 million in investments to date, with total funding of $20.7 million and seven funding rounds on record.

Company records also show the first patient was dosed in November 2025 in a proof-of-concept study of YAQ001 in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis and inflammatory bowel disease at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, expanding the asset beyond cirrhosis.

Yaqrit's Next Data Readout

YAQ001 is currently being evaluated in the CATCh proof-of-concept study in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis and inflammatory bowel disease. The topline readout from this trial is expected in Q4 2026.

"This publication, together with the safety and tolerability data previously reported, supports our strategy of advancing YAQ001 in serious liver- and gut-related disorders," said Troels Jordansen, Yaqrit's Chief Executive Officer. "We are looking forward to the results from the ongoing PSC and IBD study, which we expect to support a CE Mark submission in 2027."