Akebia Therapeutics Reports Inducement Grant Under NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)

Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKBA), a biopharmaceutical company focused on delivering innovative therapies to patients with kidney disease through the biology of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), today announced that the Company granted three newly-hired employees options to purchase an aggregate of 45,500 shares of Akebia's common stock with a per share exercise price of $15.56, the closing price on the grant date. These options will vest as to 25% of the total number of shares subject to the option on the first anniversary of the grant date. The remaining 75% of shares will vest ratably on the first day of each calendar quarter over the next three years. The stock options were inducements material to these new employees entering into employment with the Company, and issued in reliance on NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

About Akebia TherapeuticsAkebia Therapeutics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, focused on delivering innovative therapies to patients with kidney disease through hypoxia-inducible factor biology. Akebia’s lead product candidate, vadadustat, is an oral, investigational therapy in development for the treatment of anemia related to chronic kidney disease in both non-dialysis and dialysis patients. Akebia’s global Phase 3 program for vadadustat, which includes the PRO2TECT studies for non-dialysis patients with anemia secondary to chronic kidney disease and the INNO2VATE studies for dialysis-dependent patients, is currently ongoing. In addition, the Company has initiated the Phase 2 FO2RWARD study of vadadustat in dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease patients who are hyporesponsive to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), and expects to commence the Phase 3 TRILO2GY study to further evaluate a three-times-weekly dosing regimen for vadadustat. For more information, please visit our website at www.akebia.com.

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Akebia TherapeuticsJohn Garabo, 617-844-6130Director, Corporate [e-mail]