Akebia touts data for two PhIII studies, setting up showdown with AstraZeneca, FibroGen
Three months after their commercial partner Vifor dropped $100 million on a priority review voucher for their experimental anemia drug, Akebia touted the results from a pair of Phase III trials they say could help bring regulatory approval.
The data are for one of two experimental pills — the other coming from AstraZeneca and FibroGen — that could soon replace the J&J and Amgen injectables that have been used to treat anemia in chronic kidney disease patients for much of the last 3 decades. Although long-running blockbusters, the older drugs come with dangerous potential side effects — including for cardiovascular disease and stroke — and dosing schedules the biotechs hope to improve on. That combination of upgrades could also make the drug suitable for millions of patients with earlier stage kidney disease.
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