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Collaboration

We’re better together. 

Why Partner with Akebia?

We are a leader in the renal community – a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company with capabilities ranging from research and development through commercialization. With a history deeply rooted in renal care, we provide unmatched industry expertise and know-how to our partners. We share our partners’ passion and together, we leverage our combined strengths to advance innovative therapeutics to better the lives of people living with kidney disease. As a well-respected partner to industry leaders, we believe in the power of collaboration to achieve our mutual goals. 

If interested in partnering with Akebia, please contact: [email protected].

Current Partnerships

Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation

In 2015, Akebia entered into a collaboration agreement with Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (MTPC), providing MTPC with exclusive development and commercialization rights to vadadustat in Japan and certain other Asian countries. MTPC submitted a Japanese New Drug Application (JNDA) for vadadustat to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) in Japan in July 2019, representing the first regulatory submission for vadadustat. On June 29, 2020, MTPC obtained approval of vadadustat as a treatment for anemia due to CKD in both dialysis-dependent and non-dialysis dependent adult patients. Vadadustat is marketed by MTPC in Japan under the trade name VAFSEO®.

Vifor Pharma

In 2017, Akebia and Vifor Pharma (Vifor) entered into an agreement granting Vifor an exclusive license to sell Vafseo® (vadadustat) if included in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) End Stage Renal Disease Prospective Payment System (ESRD PPS) bundle, to Fresenius Kidney Care Group, an affiliate of Fresenius Medical Care North America, for use solely within its dialysis facilities in the U.S. In 2019, we expanded this agreement so that the license would also be effective during the Transitional Drug Add-on Payment Adjustment (TDAPA) two-year period that is expected to precede the ESRD bundle period, and to provide Vifor with a license to sell vadadustat to certain third-party dialysis organizations in the U.S. as well. Akebia has retained all rights to commercialize vadadustat, in collaboration with Otsuka, for use in the non-dialysis dependent market and in other dialysis organizations, following FDA approval.

Cyclerion Therapeutics, Inc.

In 2021, Akebia entered into a license agreement with Cyclerion Therapeutics, Inc. The agreement granted Akebia the worldwide right to develop and commercialize praliciguat.

MEDICE Arzneimittel Pütter GmbH&Co.KG

In 2023, Akebia entered into a license agreement granting Medice the rights to market and sell Vafseo® (vadadustat) tablets in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Australia. Akebia retains the rights to develop and commercialize in Europe for other indications.

Janssen Pharmaceutica NV

In 2017, Akebia entered into a research and license agreement with Janssen Pharmaceutica, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. The agreement granted Akebia an exclusive license to research, develop, and commercialize worldwide certain hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) prolyl hydroxylase-targeted compounds.

Panion & BF Biotech, Inc.

Akebia is party to a licensing agreement with Panion & BF Biotech granting Akebia exclusive worldwide rights, excluding certain Asian-Pacific countries, for the development and commercialization of ferric citrate, which has been approved and is marketed as AURYXIA® in the United States.

Japan Tobacco, Inc.

 Akebia’s wholly owned subsidiary Keryx has a sub-license agreement with Japan Tobacco (JT) and its subsidiary Torii Pharmaceutical (Torii), under which JT and Torii have exclusive rights for the development and commercialization of ferric citrate hydrate in Japan, where it is currently approved and marketed under the brand name RIONA® for the treatment of hyperphosphatemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), including dialysis-dependent and non-dialysis dependent CKD, and to treat adult patients with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in Japan.

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Akebia Therapeutics, Inc.
245 First Street, Suite 1400
Cambridge, MA 02142

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