Akebia's anemia drug flunked Covid study — but count the bruised biotech 'extremely encouraged'
For as long as it’s existed — since 2007 and counting — Akebia has always billed itself as a kidney disease specialist. But as it grapples with a costly FDA rejection of its lead anemia drug, the biotech is doing whatever it can to stay afloat.
And that could mean holding onto a Covid-19 program even after failing a trial.
Reporting initial findings from a study testing vadadustat, its once-rejected anemia drug, for the prevention and treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome in patients with Covid-19 and hypoxemia, Akebia said the drug failed the primary endpoint, as measured by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease Ordinal Scale.
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