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Akebia Ther (AKBA)



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Upturn Advisory Summary
06/27/2025: AKBA (2-star) has a low Upturn Star Rating. Not recommended to BUY.
Year Target Price $7.25
Year Target Price $7.25
3 | Strong Buy |
1 | Buy |
0 | Hold |
0 | Under performing |
0 | Sell |
Analysis of Past Performance
Type Stock | Historic Profit 4.34% | Avg. Invested days 30 | Today’s Advisory Consider higher Upturn Star rating |
Upturn Star Rating ![]() ![]() | Upturn Advisory Performance ![]() | Stock Returns Performance ![]() |
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Key Highlights
Company Size Small-Cap Stock | Market Capitalization 958.62M USD | Price to earnings Ratio - | 1Y Target Price 7.4 |
Price to earnings Ratio - | 1Y Target Price 7.4 | ||
Volume (30-day avg) - | Beta 0.84 | 52 Weeks Range 0.91 - 4.08 | Updated Date 06/29/2025 |
52 Weeks Range 0.91 - 4.08 | Updated Date 06/29/2025 | ||
Dividends yield (FY) - | Basic EPS (TTM) -0.21 |
Earnings Date
Report Date - | When - | Estimate - | Actual - |
Profitability
Profit Margin -24.51% | Operating Margin (TTM) 23.85% |
Management Effectiveness
Return on Assets (TTM) -4.26% | Return on Equity (TTM) -553.45% |
Valuation
Trailing PE - | Forward PE - | Enterprise Value 898081622 | Price to Sales(TTM) 5.18 |
Enterprise Value 898081622 | Price to Sales(TTM) 5.18 | ||
Enterprise Value to Revenue 4.86 | Enterprise Value to EBITDA 136.34 | Shares Outstanding 262636000 | Shares Floating 257367361 |
Shares Outstanding 262636000 | Shares Floating 257367361 | ||
Percent Insiders 3.59 | Percent Institutions 38.87 |
Analyst Ratings
Rating 4.75 | Target Price 7.25 | Buy 1 | Strong Buy 3 |
Buy 1 | Strong Buy 3 | ||
Hold - | Sell - | Strong Sell - | |
Strong Sell - |
Upturn AI SWOT
Akebia Ther

Company Overview
History and Background
Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing novel therapeutics for patients with kidney disease. Founded in 2007, it has focused primarily on hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) stabilizers.
Core Business Areas
- Renal Disease Therapeutics: Akebia develops and seeks to commercialize treatments for anemia due to chronic kidney disease (CKD) and other kidney-related conditions.
Leadership and Structure
Akebia is led by a board of directors and an executive team. The CEO is John P. Butler. The company has a typical corporate structure with departments focusing on R&D, clinical development, commercial operations, and finance.
Top Products and Market Share
Key Offerings
- Vafseo (vadadustat): Vafseo is an oral HIF prolyl hydroxylase (HIF-PH) inhibitor approved in the EU, UK, Switzerland, and other countries for the treatment of anemia associated with chronic kidney disease in adult patients on dialysis. The company received a Complete Response Letter (CRL) from the FDA in 2022. Major competitors include injectable erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) and other potential oral HIF-PH inhibitors.
Market Dynamics
Industry Overview
The renal disease therapeutics market is substantial and growing, driven by the increasing prevalence of CKD worldwide. There is significant unmet need for effective and convenient treatments, particularly for anemia associated with CKD.
Positioning
Akebia is positioned as an innovator in the oral HIF-PH inhibitor space. Its competitive advantage lies in its vadadustat formulation and potential for improved patient convenience compared to injectable ESAs.
Total Addressable Market (TAM)
The global anemia associated with CKD market is estimated to be worth billions of dollars. Akebia aims to capture a significant share of this market with Vafseo and future product candidates.
Upturn SWOT Analysis
Strengths
- Novel HIF-PH inhibitor technology
- Established partnerships in key markets
- Experienced management team
- Approved product in multiple territories.
Weaknesses
- FDA rejection of vadadustat
- Reliance on partner revenue
- Significant debt
- Uncertainty regarding future regulatory approvals in the US.
Opportunities
- Potential for US FDA approval with additional data or a new clinical trial
- Expansion into new markets
- Development of new indications for vadadustat or other HIF-PH inhibitors
- Strategic partnerships or acquisitions.
Threats
- Competition from existing ESAs and other emerging therapies
- Unfavorable regulatory decisions
- Pricing pressures
- Clinical trial failures
Competitors and Market Share
Key Competitors
- AMGN
- JNJ
- FGEN
Competitive Landscape
Akebia competes with established pharmaceutical companies in the renal disease market. Its competitive advantage lies in its oral HIF-PH inhibitor technology, but it faces challenges related to regulatory approval and market access. Amgen and JNJ currently hold major market share for current treatments, mostly through ESAs, while FGEN is another competitor working with HIF-PH inhibitors.
Growth Trajectory and Initiatives
Historical Growth: Historical growth has been characterized by R&D spending and regulatory hurdles, leading to slow revenue growth.
Future Projections: Future growth is highly dependent on securing US FDA approval for vadadustat and expanding into new markets.
Recent Initiatives: Akebia is focused on pursuing strategic partnerships and streamlining operations to improve its financial position and regulatory approval.
Summary
Akebia Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing treatments for kidney disease. While it faces challenges, Akebia has a novel oral HIF-PH inhibitor technology and strategic partnerships. Future success hinges on obtaining regulatory approval in the U.S., managing debt, and competing effectively. The complete response letter from the FDA, coupled with high debt, makes Akebia a high-risk investment. Akebia needs to secure US approval to demonstrate a viable product offering.
Peer Comparison
Sources and Disclaimers
Data Sources:
- Company filings (SEC)
- Investor presentations
- Analyst reports
- Press releases
Disclaimers:
This analysis is for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. The information provided is based on publicly available data and is subject to change without notice.
AI Summarization is directionally correct and might not be accurate.
Summarized information shown could be a few years old and not current.
Fundamental Rating based on AI could be based on old data.
AI-generated summaries may have inaccuracies (hallucinations). Please verify the information before taking action.
About Akebia Ther
Exchange NASDAQ | Headquaters Cambridge, MA, United States | ||
IPO Launch date 2014-03-20 | CEO, President & Director Mr. John P. Butler MBA | ||
Sector Healthcare | Industry Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic | Full time employees 181 | Website https://www.akebia.com |
Full time employees 181 | Website https://www.akebia.com |
Akebia Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the development and commercialization of therapeutics for patients with kidney diseases. Its product portfolio includes Vafseo (vadadustat), an oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase, which is in Phase III development for the treatment of anemia due to chronic kidney disease (CKD) in dialysis-dependent (DD) and non-dialysis dependent (NDD) patients; and Auryxia, a ferric citrate that is used to control the serum phosphorus levels in adult patients with DD-CKD and the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in adult patients with NDD-CKD. The company is also developing AKB-9090 for treating cardiac surgery-related acute kidney injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome; and AKB-10108 for the treatment of retinopathy of prematurity in neonates. The company has license and collaboration agreements with Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation for the development and commercialization of Vafseo in Japan and other Asian countries. Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. was incorporated in 2007 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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