Akebia Therapeutics

Name

Akebia Therapeutics

Legal name

Akebia Therapeutics, Inc.

Website

https://akebia.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Renal Pharmaceuticals

NAICS

Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Nephrology & Urology Specialty Pharmaceuticals (HLAIACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nephrology & Urology Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAM), Rare Renal & Nephrology Disorder Therapies (HLAIAIAI)

Keywords

• Kidney disease therapeutics
• Renal anemia treatment
• HIF-PH inhibitors
• Phosphate binders
• Biopharmaceutical products

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Operations

Revenue model

1. Product Sales - Vafseo: Direct commercial sales of Vafseo (vadadustat) for treating anemia due to chronic kidney disease in adults on dialysis. Generated $45.8 million in revenue for 2025, with record quarterly net product revenue of $15.8 million in Q1 2026.
2. Product Sales - Auryxia: Sales of Auryxia (ferric citrate) for hyperphosphatemia and iron deficiency anemia in CKD patients. Revenue declined year-over-year in recent periods.
3. Licensing Royalties - International: Royalty and milestone revenue from licensing agreements with Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma (Japan/Asia), MEDICE (Europe/UK), Averoa (Europe), and Japan Tobacco/Torii (Japan) for vadadustat and ferric citrate products.
4. Milestone Payments - Acquisitions: Potential milestone payments from pipeline acquisitions, including up to $592 million in potential milestone payments tied to ADX-097 development, sales, and regulatory achievements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Akebia Therapeutics is a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures, and commercializes therapeutics for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and related complications. Its two FDA-approved products are Vafseo (vadadustat), the only oral HIF-PH inhibitor in the U.S. market for treating anemia in adults with CKD on dialysis, and Auryxia (ferric citrate), approved for hyperphosphatemia and iron deficiency anemia in CKD patients. The company sells through a nephrology-focused commercial team to dialysis providers and healthcare systems in the U.S., with international distribution via licensing partners.

Product overview

Akebia Therapeutics is a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company with two FDA-approved products for kidney disease: Vafseo (vadadustat) and Auryxia (ferric citrate). Vafseo is an oral HIF-PHI anemia treatment and is currently the only oral HIF-PH inhibitor in the U.S. market. Auryxia addresses hyperphosphatemia and iron deficiency anemia in CKD patients. The company is expanding its pipeline focused on rare kidney diseases through programs including praliciguat (Phase 2 for FSGS), AKB-097 (Phase 2 basket trial for rare kidney diseases), and AKB-9090 (Phase 1 for acute kidney injury).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vafseo: FDA-approved treatment for anemia due to chronic kidney disease in adults on dialysis
• Auryxia

Products and services

• Vafseo (vadadustat) Oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor (HIF-PHI) approved by the FDA in March 2024 for treating anemia due to chronic kidney disease in adults on dialysis. It is the only oral HIF-PH inhibitor in the U.S. market, providing an oral alternative to injectable erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs). The drug mimics the body's response to lower oxygen levels by increasing HIF availability, which coordinates expression of genes responsible for erythropoietin synthesis and iron metabolism regulation, leading to increased red blood cell production.
• Auryxia (ferric citrate) FDA-approved ferric citrate product for treating hyperphosphatemia in chronic kidney disease patients (including dialysis-dependent and non-dialysis dependent CKD) and for treating iron deficiency anemia in adult patients. Acts as both an iron-based phosphate binder and an iron replacement product.

Quantifiable outcome

• Record quarterly net product revenue of $15.8 million for Vafseo in Q1 2026
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Q32 BiocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Akebia acquired Phase 2 complement inhibitor ADX-097 (renamed AKB-097) from Q32 Bio for $12 million upfront with up to $592 million in potential milestone payments tied to sales, development, and regulatory achievements. Deal extends Akebia's cash runway to second half of 2027.
• Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma CorporationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollaboration agreement entered in 2015 providing MTPC with exclusive development and commercialization rights to vadadustat in Japan and certain other Asian countries. MTPC obtained Japanese approval for vadadustat in June 2020 and markets it under the trade name VAFSEO in Japan.
• AveroasecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLicense agreement entered in 2022 granting Averoa rights to develop and commercialize ferric citrate in the European Economic Area and certain countries in Europe and the Middle East.
• MEDICE Arzneimittel Pütter GmbH&Co.KGsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLicense agreement entered in 2023 granting MEDICE rights to market and sell Vafseo (vadadustat) tablets in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Australia. Akebia retains rights to develop and commercialize in Europe for other indications.
• Cyclerion Therapeutics, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLicense agreement entered in 2021 granting Akebia worldwide rights to develop and commercialize praliciguat, an oral sGC stimulant for treating focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Currently in Phase 2 clinical trials.
• Panion & BF Biotech, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLicensing agreement granting Akebia exclusive worldwide rights (excluding certain Asian-Pacific countries) for the development and commercialization of ferric citrate, marketed as AURYXIA in the United States.
• Japan Tobacco, Inc. / Torii PharmaceuticalsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSub-license agreement through Akebia's subsidiary Keryx granting Japan Tobacco and Torii exclusive rights for development and commercialization of ferric citrate hydrate in Japan, where it is marketed as RIONA for hyperphosphatemia and iron deficiency anemia.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• FibroGen: Developed roxadustat, the leading HIF-PHI outside the U.S. and the most direct mechanistic competitor to vadadustat in the anemia-of-CKD category. Comparable as a HIF-PHI-focused company targeting the same renal anemia opportunity.

Broad incumbents

• Amgen: Markets Epogen and Aranesp, the dominant injectable ESAs used in U.S. dialysis for anemia of CKD. Directly competes with Vafseo for the same dialysis-patient prescriptions and is the entrenched category leader Akebia is displacing.
• Roche: Markets Mircera (methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta), a long-acting injectable ESA used in dialysis anemia. Overlaps with Akebia's target patient population and represents the established standard-of-care alternative to oral HIF-PHI therapy.
• GSK: Developed daprodustat (Jesduvroq), a HIF-PHI approved in Japan and other markets for anemia of CKD. A mechanistic and indication-level peer to Vafseo, though not yet approved in the U.S.
• Chinook Therapeutics (Novartis): Pre-acquisition, Chinook was a leading rare-kidney-disease biotech (IgA nephropathy, ADPKD) acquired by Novartis in 2023. Comparable as a rare renal-disease development-stage company and now part of a large incumbent's renal strategy.
• Vertex Pharmaceuticals: Diversified rare-disease biopharma with renal programs (e.g., inaxaplin for APOL1-mediated kidney disease). Comparable as a high-margin, specialty-focused biopharma with overlapping rare-kidney development interests.

Emerging players

• Travere Therapeutics: Focused on rare kidney diseases including IgA nephropathy (Filspari) and FSGS. Directly comparable as a rare renal-disease commercial-stage biotech with overlapping target indications in Akebia's pipeline.
• Vera Therapeutics: Late-stage biotech developing atacicept for IgA nephropathy, a rare kidney indication that overlaps with Akebia's AKB-097 complement-inhibitor basket trial. Comparable as a pure-play rare-renal player competing for the same prescriber audience.

Others

• DaVita: Largest U.S. dialysis provider and a key enterprise customer for Vafseo. While not a therapeutic competitor, DaVita is a critical channel partner whose formulary decisions directly drive Akebia's revenue.
• Fresenius Medical Care: Global dialysis services leader and a major customer/channel for Vafseo in the U.S. and internationally. Comparable as a key stakeholder in the dialysis-anemia prescribing ecosystem in which Akebia operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/akebiatx
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/akebia-therapeutics
• Instagraminstagram.com/akebia_therapeutics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds8 records

Investors12 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Akebia Therapeutics