Akebia Therapeutics Inc

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

☒ QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2024

OR

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from to

Commission File Number 001-36352

AKEBIA THERAPEUTICS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (617)871-2098

Not Applicable

(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ý No¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ý No¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.¨

Indicate by check mark whether registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes☐ Noý

The number of shares outstanding of the issuer’s common stock as of November 4, 2024 was 218,181,202.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements that are being made pursuant to the provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with the intention of obtaining the benefits of the “safe harbor” provisions of that Act. All statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10‑Q other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may be accompanied by words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “build,” “can,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “should,” “designed,” “estimate,” “project,” “expect,” “forecast,” “future,” “goal,” “intend,” “likely,” “may,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “strategy,” “seek,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and other words and terms of similar meaning, but the absence of these words does not necessarily mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:

•our ability to execute a successful commercial launch of Vafseo® (vadadustat), and our plans with respect to commercializing Vafseo and label expansion opportunities currently under evaluation for Vafseo;

•our ability to contract with dialysis organizations in a timely manner, or at all, for the sale of Auryxia®(ferric citrate) and Vafseo in the U.S.;

•the potential therapeutic benefits, safety profile, and effectiveness of Vafseo;

•our pipeline and portfolio, including its potential, and our related research and development activities;

•the timing, investment and associated activities involved in continued commercialization of Auryxia, its growth opportunities and our ability to execute thereon;

•the potential indications, demand and market opportunity, potential and acceptance of Auryxia and Vafseo, including the size of eligible patient populations;

•the potential therapeutic applications of the hypoxia inducible factor pathway;

•our competitive position, including estimates, developments and projections relating to our competitors and their products and product candidates, and our industry;

•our expectations, projections and estimates regarding our capital requirements, need for additional capital, financing our future cash needs, costs, expenses, revenues, capital resources, cash flows, financial performance, profitability, tax obligations, liquidity, growth, contractual obligations and the period of time our cash resources will fund our current operating plan, estimates with respect to our ability to operate as a going concern, our internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures, and any future deficiencies or material weaknesses in our internal controls and procedures;

•delivering value broadly to the kidney community, as well as others who may benefit from our medicines, will result in delivering value for stockholders;

•the direct or indirect impacts of the recent COVID-19 pandemic on our business, operations and the markets and communities in which we and our partners, collaborators, vendors, and customers operate;

•our manufacturing, supply and quality matters and any recalls, write-downs, impairments or other related consequences or potential consequences;

•estimates, beliefs and judgments related to the valuation of intangible asset, goodwill, debt and other assets and liabilities, including classification of expenses, assets and liabilities, our impairment analyses and our methodology and assumptions regarding fair value measurements;

•the timing of the availability and disclosure of clinical trial data and results;

•the designs of our studies, and the type of information and data expected from our studies and the expected benefits thereof;

•our and our collaborators’ strategy, plans and expectations with respect to the development, manufacturing, supply, commercialization, launch, marketing and sale of Auryxia and Vafseo and the associated timing thereof;

•our ability to maintain any marketing authorizations we currently hold or will obtain, including our marketing authorizations for Auryxia and our ability to complete post-marketing requirements with respect thereto;

•our ability to negotiate, secure and maintain adequate pricing, coverage and reimbursement terms and processes on a timely basis, or at all, with third-party payors for Auryxia and Vafseo;

•the timing of initiation of our clinical trials and plans to conduct preclinical studies and clinical trials in the future;

•the timing and amounts of payments from or to our collaborators and licensees, and the anticipated arrangements and benefits under our collaboration and license agreements, including with respect to milestones and royalties;

•our intellectual property position, including obtaining and maintaining patents, and the timing, outcome and impact of administrative, regulatory, legal and other proceedings relating to our patents and other proprietary and intellectual property rights, patent infringement suits that we have filed or may file, or other actions that we may take against companies, and the timing and resolution thereof;

•expected ongoing reliance on third parties, including with respect to the development, manufacturing, supply and commercialization of Auryxia and Vafseo;

•accounting standards and estimates, their impact, and their expected timing of completion;

•estimated periods of performance of key contracts;

•our facilities, lease commitments, and future availability of facilities;

•cybersecurity;

•insurance coverage;

•management of personnel, including our management team, and our employees, including employee compensation, employee relations, and our ability to attract, train and retain high quality employees;

•the implementation of our business model, current operating plan, and strategic plans for our business, product candidates and technology, and business development opportunities including potential collaborations, alliances, mergers, acquisitions or licensing of assets;

•additional costs we may incur due to events associated with or resulting from our prior workforce reductions or other operating expenses, including additional costs related to vadadustat and selling, general and administrative expenses; and

•the timing, outcome and impact of any future legal proceedings.

Any or all of these forward-looking statements in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q may turn out to be inaccurate. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including those that are discussed below under the heading "Risk Factors Summary", and the risk factors identified further in Part II, Item 1A. "Risk Factors" included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and in our Securities and Exchange Commission reports filed after this report, that could cause our actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements to be materially different from those indicated in these forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason. Unless otherwise stated, our forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, joint ventures or investments we may make.

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q also contains estimates and other information concerning our industry and the markets for certain diseases, including data regarding the estimated size of those markets, and the incidence and prevalence of certain medical conditions. Unless otherwise expressly stated, we obtained this industry, market and other data from reports, research surveys, studies and similar data prepared by market research firms and other third parties, industry, medical and general publications, government data and similar sources.

RISK FACTORS SUMMARY

Investing in our common stock involves numerous risks, including the risks summarized below and described in further detail in “Part II, Item 1A. Risk Factors” of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, any one of which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. These risks include, but are not limited to, the following:

•We have incurred significant losses since our inception, and anticipate that we will continue to incur losses and cannot guarantee when, if ever, we will become profitable or attain positive cash flows.

•We may require substantial additional financing to fund our business. A failure to obtain this necessary capital when needed, or on acceptable terms, could force us to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development or commercialization efforts.

•Raising additional capital may cause dilution to our existing stockholders, restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights to our products and product candidates on unfavorable terms to us.

•If we fail to comply with the continued listing requirements of Nasdaq, our common stock may be delisted and the price of our common stock and our ability to access the capital markets could be negatively impacted.

•We may not be successful in our efforts to identify, acquire, in-license, discover, develop and commercialize additional products or product candidates or our decisions to prioritize the development of certain product candidates over others may not be successful, which could impair our ability to grow.

•We may engage in strategic transactions to acquire assets, businesses, or rights to products, product candidates or technologies or form collaborations or make investments in other companies or technologies that could harm our operating results, dilute our stockholders’ ownership, increase our debt, or cause us to incur significant expense.

•Our obligations in connection with the Agreement for the Provision of a Loan Facility, as amended, or the BlackRock Credit Agreement, with Kreos Capital VII (UK) Limited, or Kreos, which are funds and accounts managed by BlackRock Inc., collectively BlackRock, and requirements and restrictions in the BlackRock Credit Agreement could adversely affect our financial condition and restrict our operations.

•Our Royalty Interest Acquisition Agreement with HealthCare Royalty Partners IV, L.P. contains various covenants and other provisions, which, if violated, could materially adversely affect our financial condition.

•Our business is substantially dependent on the commercial success of Auryxia and Vafseo. If we are unable to continue to successfully commercialize Auryxia and commercially launch Vafseo, our results of operations and financial condition will be materially harmed.

•If we are unable to maintain or expand, or, with respect to Vafseo, initiate, sales and marketing capabilities or enter into additional agreements with third parties, we may not be successful in commercializing Auryxia, Vafseo or any other product candidates that may be approved.

•Our, or our partners', failure to obtain or maintain adequate coverage, pricing and reimbursement for Auryxia, Vafseo or any other future approved products, could have a material adverse effect on our or our collaboration partners’ ability to sell such approved products profitably and otherwise have a material adverse impact on our business.

•We face substantial competition, which may result in others discovering, developing or commercializing products before, or more successfully than, we do.

•The commercialization of ferric citrate, branded as Riona in Japan, Vafseo in Europe, Japan and other territories where it is approved, and our current and potential future efforts with respect to the development and commercialization of our products and product candidates outside of the United States, or U.S., subject us to a variety of risks associated with international operations, which could materially adversely affect our business.

•Clinical drug development involves a lengthy and expensive process with an uncertain outcome, and we will incur additional costs in connection with, and may experience delays in completing, or ultimately be unable to complete, the development of any of our product candidates.

•Conducting clinical trials outside of the U.S., as we have done historically and as we may decide to do in the future, presents additional risks and complexities and, if we decide to conduct a clinical trial outside of the U.S. in the future, we may not complete such trials successfully, in a timely manner, or at all, which could affect our ability to obtain regulatory approvals.

•Auryxia, Vafseo or any other product or product candidate, including those that may be in-licensed or acquired, may cause undesirable side effects or have other properties that may delay or prevent marketing approval or limit their commercial potential.

•We may not be able to obtain marketing approval for any label expansion for Vafseo or any current or future product candidate, or we may experience significant delays in doing so, any of which would materially harm our business.

•Products approved for marketing are subject to extensive post-marketing regulatory requirements, including post-approval pediatric studies for Auryxia and Vafseo, and could be subject to post-marketing restrictions or withdrawal from the market, and we may be subject to penalties, including withdrawal of marketing approval, if we fail to comply with regulatory requirements or if we experience unanticipated problems with our products, or product candidates, when and if approved.

•We are subject to complex regulatory schemes that require significant resources to ensure compliance and our failure to comply with applicable laws could subject us to government scrutiny or enforcement, potentially resulting in costly investigations, fines, penalties or sanctions, contractual damages, reputational harm, administrative burdens and diminished profits and future earnings.

•We will incur significant liability if it is determined that we are promoting any “off-label” use of Auryxia, Vafseo or any other product we may develop, in-license or acquire or if it is determined that any of our activities violates the federal Anti-Kickback Statute.

•Disruptions at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, regulatory authorities outside the U.S. and other government agencies caused by global health concerns or funding shortages could prevent new products and services from being developed or commercialized in a timely manner, which could negatively impact our business.

•Compliance with privacy and data security requirements could result in additional costs and liabilities to us or inhibit our ability to collect and process data globally, and the failure to comply with such requirements could subject us to significant fines and penalties, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

•Legislative and regulatory healthcare reform may increase the difficulty and cost for us to obtain marketing approval of and commercialize our product candidates and affect the prices we may obtain for any products that are approved in the U.S. or foreign jurisdictions.

•We depend on collaborations with third parties for the development and commercialization of Auryxia, Riona and Vafseo and if these collaborations are not successful or if our collaborators terminate their agreements with us, we may not be able to capitalize on the market potential of Auryxia, Riona and Vafseo, and our business could be materially harmed.

•We may seek to establish additional collaborations and, if we are not able to establish them on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, we may have to alter our development and commercialization plans.

•We rely upon third parties to conduct all aspects of our product manufacturing and commercial distribution, and in many instances only have a single supplier or distributor, and the loss of these manufacturers or distributors, their failure to supply us on a timely basis, or at all, or their failure to successfully carry out their contractual duties or comply with regulatory requirements, cGMP requirements or guidance could cause delays in or disruptions to our supply chain and substantially harm our business.

•We rely upon third parties to conduct our clinical trials and certain of our preclinical studies. If they do not successfully carry out their contractual duties, comply with regulatory requirements or meet expected deadlines, we may not be able to obtain or maintain marketing approval for Auryxia, Vafseo or any of our product candidates, and our business could be substantially harmed.

•If the licensor of certain intellectual property relating to Auryxia terminates, modifies or threatens to terminate existing contracts or relationships with us, our business may be materially harmed.

•We currently rely on third parties in China for the manufacture of raw materials, drug substance and drug product for the commercial supply of Vafseo and for early-stage research services. Our commercialization of Vafseo, or our development of our product candidates could be delayed, prevented or impaired if there are disruptions or delays in obtaining these products or services.

•If we are unable to adequately protect our intellectual property, third parties may be able to use our intellectual property, which could adversely affect our ability to compete in the market.

•We may not be able to protect our intellectual property rights throughout the world.

•The intellectual property that we own or have licensed and related non-patent exclusivity relating to our current and future products is, and may be, limited, which could adversely affect our ability to compete in the market and adversely affect the value of Auryxia, Vafseo or other future products.

•The market entry of one or more generic competitors or any third party’s attempt to challenge our intellectual property rights will likely limit Auryxia and Vafseo sales and have an adverse impact on our business and results of operation.

•Litigation and administrative proceedings, including third party claims of intellectual property infringement and opposition/invalidation proceedings against third party patents, may be costly and time consuming and may delay or harm our drug discovery, development and commercialization efforts.

•We may be subject to claims that our employees, consultants or independent contractors have wrongfully used or disclosed confidential information of third parties.

•If we fail to attract, retain and motivate senior management and qualified personnel, we may be unable to successfully develop and commercialize Auryxia or Vafseo.

•We may encounter difficulties in managing our growth, including with respect to our employee base, and managing our partnerships and operations successfully.

•We have identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023 relating to our accounting for inventory and inventory related transactions. If we are not able to remediate this material weakness, or if we experience additional material weaknesses or other deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting in the future or otherwise fail to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately or timely report our financial results or prevent fraud, and we may conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is not effective, which may adversely affect our business.

•Our stock price has been and may continue to be volatile, which could result in substantial losses for holders or future purchasers of our common stock and lawsuits against us and our officers and directors and could result in substantial costs.