Akebia Therapeutics Says Vafseo Trial Meets Primary Endpoint in CKD Anemia

11:08 AM EST, 11/05/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Akebia Therapeutics (AKBA) said Thursday its Vocal trial evaluating Vafseo in patients with anemia due to chronic kidney disease receiving in-center hemodialysis met the primary endpoint of non-inferiority to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents in maintaining hemoglobin levels. The primary efficacy endpoint was defined as the mean change in hemoglobin between baseline and weeks 20 to 24. The safety endpoint was the rate of treatment-emergent serious adverse events, with vadadustat-treated patients experiencing 159.7 events per 100 patient-years compared with 183.9 events per 100 patient-years for patients treated with ESA, according to the company. Shares of Akebia were down more than 34% in Thursday trading. Price: 0.46, Change: -0.24, Percent Change: -34.24