Akebia Partners with Japan's Otsuka on Anemia Pill

Dec. 29, 2016

Massachusetts-based Akebia Therapeutics has entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Japan's Otsuka Pharmaceutical to fund Akebia's experimental anemia pill.

According to the deal, Otsuka will commit $265 million to Akebia to fund late-stage trials of vadadustat. This includes a payment of $125 million upon signing and a payment of approximately $35 million in the first quarter of 2017. In return, Akebia will split the costs and profits of vadadustat with Otsuka in the U.S. 

Akebia has been accumulating partnerships to help fund vadadustat’s development as the company races to beat San Francisco, CA-based FibroGen to bring the first anemia pill to the market for patients with chronic kidney disease.

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