 Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. Nasdaq: AKBA, a biopharmaceutical company with the purpose to better the lives of people impacted by kidney disease, today announced the first regulatory approval of vadadustat, its oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor HIF-PHI, for the treatment of anemia due to chronic kidney disease CKD. Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation MTPC, Akebias collaboration partner in Japan for vadadustat, has obtained manufacturing and marketing approval of vadadustat as a treatment for anemia due to CKD in both dialysis-dependent and non-dialysis dependent adult patients by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in Japan on June 29, 2020. Vadadustat will be marketed by MTPC in Japan under the trade name VAFSEOTM. 