- Akebia outlines Phase II FSGS study of up to ~60 patients as Vafseo reaches nearly 7,500 patients
May 7, 2026
Earnings Call Insights: Akebia Therapeutics (AKBA) Q1 2026
MANAGEMENT VIEW
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"We are very pleased and excited by the start to 2026" (CEO, President & Director John Butler), highlighting three execution priorities: "drive the near-term launch performance of Vafseo," "continue to build the clinical evidence to make Vafseo standard of care for patients on dialysis," and "execute on our impressive kidney disease-focused clinical development pipeline."
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"Revenues were nearly $16 million in Q1, representing our highest quarter of Vafseo net product revenue to date" (CEO Butler), and he framed the commercial focus around the TDAPA period in 2026 and dialysis bundle dynamics: "we're already planning for the beginning of 2027 when Vafseo will enter the dialysis bundle" and "The ESA market today for patients on dialysis is estimated to be approximately $1 billion."
*
"Approximately 1,025 prescribers wrote a prescription for Vafseo" and "we note a 60% increase in the number of patients on Vafseo at the end of Q1 '26...to nearly 7,500 patients" (Senior VP & Chief Commercial Officer Nicholas Grund), while emphasizing protocol-driven adherence: "In quarter 1, approximately 2/3 of all Vafseo patients were being treated 3 times weekly" and "First refill adherence rates through the end of March were approximately 86% for patients treated under an observed dosing protocol."
*
"Total revenues...were $53.5 million in Q1 '26" and "Vafseo net product revenues were $15.8 million" (Chief Business Officer, Senior VP, CFO & Treasurer Erik Ostrowski), alongside Auryxia pressure: "Auryxia net product revenues were $36.2 million...driven by lower Auryxia pricing" and "an additional generic form of Auryxia has entered the market."
OUTLOOK
*
"We continue to work to take advantage of the TDAPA opportunity for the balance of '26" (CEO Butler), while tying the adoption curve to dialysis-provider protocol changes: "Alliance organizations are systematically electing to move to an observed dosing protocol" and "we believe that shift is improving adherence and could lead to greater utilization over time."
*
"We believe DaVita will implement an observed dosing protocol in the second half of the year" (CCO Grund), while CEO Butler cautioned on forecasting shape: "I don't think we could say, oh, it's going to be linear or there's going to be some hockey stick at the end of the year."
*
"We're still finalizing the last couple of positions" (CEO Butler) as he referenced expansion of medical affairs for education: "We made the decision earlier this year to expand our medical affairs group" to support outreach on newly published and emerging datasets.
FINANCIAL RESULTS
*
Total revenue was $53.5 million vs. $51,667,200 (analysts’ revenue estimate for Q1 2026).
*
"Net loss was $9.1 million in Q1 '26" (CFO Ostrowski), and he attributed the swing versus prior year to "lower Auryxia revenues along with higher expenses."
*
"Cost of goods sold was $12.3 million" (CFO Ostrowski) and he flagged "an increase in inventory write-downs...primarily related to Auryxia." He also noted cost accounting dynamics for Vafseo: "Vafseo-related COGS in both periods was derived from prelaunch inventory" and therefore "does not include the full cost of manufacturing."
*
"Cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 2026, were $162.6 million" (CFO Ostrowski) and he reiterated runway language: "We expect our existing cash resources and cash from operations will be sufficient to fund our current operating plan for at least 2 years."
Q&A
*
Julian Harrison, BTIG, LLC, Research Division: asked about the March step-up and whether it continued into April and which dialysis organizations drove it; Senior VP Grund responded, "The increase in patients nearly 60% quarter-over-quarter really was across all of our DOs" and cited USRC expansion of observed dosing and "some restarts at USRC," plus adoption at "IRC and DCI" and that "DaVita also had significant growth...They're still under a QD dosing protocol."
*
Julian Harrison, BTIG, LLC, Research Division: asked whether Filspari’s approval affects FSGS enrollment; CEO Butler said, "we think it's really a positive thing for patients" and called the space "competitive," while Senior VP & Chief R&D Officer Steven Burke added, "we haven't heard that it's having a significant impact on enrollment."
*
Jiale Song, Jefferies LLC, Research Division: asked whether 86% refill adherence is durable and whether 2026 Vafseo growth will be linear vs. back-half weighted; Senior VP Grund said, "I feel pretty confident about 86% is going to stick around there" and CEO Butler reiterated, "I don't know that we can guide that granularly."
*
Matthew Caufield, H.C. Wainwright & Co, LLC, Research Division: asked what UPCR change would be clinically relevant at 24 weeks for praliciguat in FSGS; Senior VP Burke said, "something around a 20% improvement in the change in UPCR" and emphasized "the proportion of patients who end up with a UPCR less than 0.7 grams per gram" as the decision driver for Phase III.
SENTIMENT ANALYSIS
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Analysts’ tone was slightly positive, leaning tactical on uptake and trial execution, with framing such as "great to hear about the step-up in patients and prescribers" (Jefferies) and specificity on adoption durability, protocol timing, and endpoints.
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Management’s tone was positive in prepared remarks and more cautious in forecasting during Q&A, with CEO Butler repeatedly emphasizing execution while avoiding granular growth commitments: "I don't think we could say" how the curve will develop.
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Compared with the prior quarter, management language shifted from addressing 2025 launch challenges (previously: "a number of challenges flattened demand") to emphasizing measurable Q1 adoption indicators and observed dosing-driven adherence.
QUARTER-OVER-QUARTER COMPARISON
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In Q1 2026, the company emphasized new adoption breadth and observed dosing scale ("Approximately 1,025 prescribers" and "nearly 7,500 patients"), versus Q4 2025’s focus on inventory dynamics and demand (previously: "$6.2 million in Vafseo net product revenue" and a "onetime inventory drawdown impact of about $4.8 million").
*
Commercial narrative shifted from explaining flat demand in 2025 (previously: "demand basically has been flat") to highlighting broader protocol implementation (Q1: "USRC had observed dosing protocols available in nearly all of their clinics as did IRC and DCI").
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Pipeline timing language tightened around 9090: Q1 stated, "initiation of a Phase I study of AKB-9090" with "top line data...expected in early 2027," versus Q4’s expectation to "initiate" Phase I in "the first half of 2026" with results "later this year."
RISKS AND CONCERNS
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"An additional generic form of Auryxia has entered the market" (CFO Ostrowski), and he said the company expects this pressure to continue: "we expect Auryxia revenues to decrease in 2026 as compared to 2025."
*
The company flagged operational data visibility constraints tied to observed dosing: "we are no longer receiving as much detailed data as we have in the past" (CCO Grund), while positioning alternative indicators (prescribers, patients on therapy, and refill adherence).
FINAL TAKEAWAY
Management framed Q1 2026 as a step-up quarter for Vafseo adoption, attributing growth to observed dosing protocols, broader prescriber participation beyond USRC, and improved adherence metrics. Alongside rising R&D and SG&A investment, leadership highlighted multiple kidney-disease pipeline programs and near-to-mid-term clinical catalysts, while acknowledging increasing generic competition for Auryxia and avoiding granular guidance on the cadence of Vafseo revenue growth through the rest of 2026.
Read the full Earnings Call Transcript [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/akba/earnings/transcripts]
MORE ON AKEBIA
* Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (AKBA) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript [https://seekingalpha.com/article/4900692-akebia-therapeutics-inc-akba-q1-2026-earnings-call-transcript]
* Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (AKBA) Discusses Pipeline Progress and Strategic Focus on Kidney Disease Treatments at R&D Day - Slideshow [https://seekingalpha.com/article/4888438-akebia-therapeutics-inc-akba-discusses-pipeline-progress-and-strategic-focus-on-kidney]
* Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (AKBA) Discusses Pipeline Progress and Strategic Focus on Kidney Disease Treatments at R&D Day Transcript [https://seekingalpha.com/article/4888140-akebia-therapeutics-inc-akba-discusses-pipeline-progress-and-strategic-focus-on-kidney]
* Akebia plunges 20% on muted Q1 print [https://seekingalpha.com/news/4588756-akebia-plunges-20-on-muted-q1-print]
* Akebia GAAP EPS of -$0.03 in-line, revenue of $53.5M beats by $1.83M [https://seekingalpha.com/news/4588290-akebia-gaap-eps-of-0_03-in-line-revenue-of-53_5m-beats-by-1_83m]
- Akebia plunges 20% on muted Q1 print
May 7, 2026
[Kidney disease concept. Viral infection. 3d illustration]
Mohammed Haneefa Nizamudeen
Akebia Therapeutics (AKBA [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/AKBA]) plummeted more than 20% after reporting a muted Q1 print. It was trading 20.61% lower at $1.18 at noon.
The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based firm reported a loss of -$0.03 per share, which was in line with analysts’ estimates, while revenue of $53.5M beat consensus.
The revenue, however, decreased 6% Y/Y, which the company said was driven by lower Auryxia® (ferric citrate) revenues but was partially offset by higher Vafseo revenues.
Vafseo net product revenues grew to $15.8 million in Q1. The total number of prescribers increased by 28% to around 1,025 in Q1.
“The number of patients on Vafseo increased through the start of the year, and we are further encouraged by trends suggesting continued growth as we leverage improved patient access and adherence as dialysis organizations implement observed dosing protocols,” said Akebia CEO John Butler.
Auryxia net product revenues were $36.2 million in the quarter, while license, collaboration, and other revenues were $1.6 million.
Cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 2026, were around $162.6 million. The company said.
The stock has declined over 27% in the year so far, compared to a 7% rise in the broader markets.
MORE ON AKEBIA
* Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (AKBA) Discusses Pipeline Progress and Strategic Focus on Kidney Disease Treatments at R&D Day - Slideshow [https://seekingalpha.com/article/4888438-akebia-therapeutics-inc-akba-discusses-pipeline-progress-and-strategic-focus-on-kidney]
* Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (AKBA) Discusses Pipeline Progress and Strategic Focus on Kidney Disease Treatments at R&D Day Transcript [https://seekingalpha.com/article/4888140-akebia-therapeutics-inc-akba-discusses-pipeline-progress-and-strategic-focus-on-kidney]
* Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (AKBA) Presents at Leerink Global Healthcare Conference 2026 Transcript [https://seekingalpha.com/article/4880251-akebia-therapeutics-inc-akba-presents-at-leerink-global-healthcare-conference-2026-transcript]
* Akebia GAAP EPS of -$0.03 in-line, revenue of $53.5M beats by $1.83M [https://seekingalpha.com/news/4588290-akebia-gaap-eps-of-0_03-in-line-revenue-of-53_5m-beats-by-1_83m]
* Akebia Q1 2026 Earnings Preview [https://seekingalpha.com/news/4587145-akebia-q1-2026-earnings-preview]
- Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (AKBA) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
May 7, 2026 · seekingalpha.com
Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (AKBA) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
- Akebia Therapeutics Q1 Earnings Call Highlights
May 7, 2026
Akebia Therapeutics logo
Key Points
Akebia's commercial launch of Vafseo showed strong momentum with Q1 net product revenue of $15.8 million, ~1,025 prescribers (up ~28% QoQ), nearly 7,500 patients (up ~60% sequentially) and ~86% first-refill adherence where observed dosing has been adopted. Company-wide revenue fell to $53.5 million as Auryxia sales declined, producing a Q1 net loss of $9.1 million versus a $6.1 million profit a year earlier, but cash and equivalents of $162.6 million are expected to fund operations for at least two years. Pipeline progress includes near-term readouts (VOCAL by year-end, VOICE in early 2027), an ongoing Phase II of praliciguat in FSGS, a planned Phase II open‑label trial of AKB‑097 in H2 2026, and a Phase I of AKB‑9090 with top-line data expected in early 2027. Interested in Akebia Therapeutics, Inc.? Here are five stocks we like better.
Akebia Therapeutics Surges on FDA Approval for Anemia Treatment
Akebia Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AKBA) executives highlighted a “strong start” to 2026 on the company’s first-quarter earnings call, pointing to record quarterly net product revenue for its anemia drug Vafseo, expanding use of observed dosing protocols at dialysis organizations, and continued progress across a kidney disease-focused development pipeline.
Vafseo launch: revenue record, prescriber growth, and observed dosing momentum
Chief Executive Officer John Butler said the company is focused on three priorities: “drive the near-term launch performance of Vafseo,” continue building evidence to make it a standard of care for dialysis patients, and advance its kidney-focused pipeline. In the first quarter, Butler said Vafseo net product revenue was “nearly $16 million,” which the company described as its highest quarterly Vafseo net product revenue to date.
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Chief Commercial Officer Nick Grund attributed growth to broader protocol adoption at dialysis organizations, particularly moves toward observed dosing. “Most dialysis organizations are systematically electing to move to an observed dosing protocol,” Butler said, adding the shift could improve adherence and increase utilization over time.
Grund reported that approximately 1,025 prescribers wrote a Vafseo prescription in the quarter, about 28% more than in the fourth quarter of 2025. He added that approximately 30% of those prescribers were from dialysis organizations other than U.S. Renal Care (USRC). From the patient standpoint, Grund said the number of patients on Vafseo at quarter-end increased about 60% sequentially to “nearly 7,500 patients.” He noted that new patient starts in Q1 were the highest since the initial launch quarter, with most new starts occurring in March, meaning Q1 revenue reflected “at most only one month of treatment for these patients.”
Story Continues
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On adherence, Grund said first-refill adherence through the end of March was approximately 86% for patients treated under observed dosing. In response to a question about whether that level should hold as adoption broadens, he said the company has seen the metric “bouncing around between kind of 85 and 90 for the last couple of quarters” and he felt “pretty confident” the 86% level should persist as additional dialysis organizations bring on observed dosing.
Grund also said that by the end of the quarter, observed dosing protocols were available in nearly all USRC clinics, as well as at IRC and DCI. He added that about two-thirds of Vafseo patients were being treated three times weekly by quarter-end, which he expects to rise in coming quarters due to these protocol decisions.
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Asked about the sharp increase in March and whether uptake was concentrated in any specific provider, Grund said the growth was broad-based across major dialysis organizations. He said USRC continued to add patients as it expanded observed dosing, and he also pointed to “restarts” at USRC—patients who had previously discontinued daily dosing “perhaps for compliance reasons” and were restarting on therapy under a three-times-weekly observed regimen. He added that IRC and DCI saw “very, very aggressive and accelerated adoption” once their protocols were in place, and that DaVita also posted “significant growth” but remained on a daily dosing protocol and was “lagging a bit behind the others.” Grund said Akebia believes DaVita will implement an observed dosing protocol in the second half of the year.
Butler declined to characterize the cadence of Vafseo growth as linear or back-half weighted, saying the trajectory will be influenced by factors such as the pace of restarts and how quickly DaVita changes its approach. He also said the company expects newly published data to influence adoption, noting that after the publication of a paper in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, Akebia’s medical team can now discuss the findings more broadly with physicians.
Clinical evidence: publications, economic analysis, and upcoming VOCAL/VOICE readouts
Butler emphasized ongoing efforts to build clinical evidence for Vafseo, including new publications and presentations from the Phase III INNO2VATE program. He said a post hoc hierarchical composite endpoint analysis was recently published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, and that the analysis “demonstrated that patients treated with Vafseo in the INNO2VATE trial experienced a lower risk of dying or being hospitalized than patients treated with the ESA comparator.”
He also highlighted an economic analysis presented earlier in the quarter at an annual dialysis conference comparing hospitalization costs for vadadustat versus darbepoetin. According to Butler, the analysis showed patients treated with vadadustat had 7.7% fewer hospitalization events annually, a 16% reduction in hospitalization days, and, based on Medicare cost data, a 14.8% lower annual hospitalization cost.
Looking ahead, Butler said top-line results from the VOCAL study—being conducted at DaVita clinics to evaluate three-times-weekly dosing—are expected by year-end. He noted VOCAL includes a sub-study of red blood cell characteristics that the company believes could further differentiate Vafseo versus ESAs. He said top-line data from the VOICE trial, being run by U.S. Renal Care and evaluating Vafseo versus standard of care on a hierarchical composite endpoint of all-cause mortality and hospitalization rates, are expected in early 2027.
Pipeline updates: praliciguat in FSGS, complement program, and AKB-9090 Phase I
Beyond Vafseo, Butler said Akebia’s research and development organization has been “highly productive” in advancing a kidney disease-focused pipeline, which management believes could be an important long-term value driver. He noted the company hosted an R&D day in April featuring external experts and reviewed data supporting praliciguat, a soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator, in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) models and prior clinical data in diabetic kidney disease.
Enrollment in Akebia’s Phase II FSGS study is ongoing, targeting up to about 60 patients on maximally tolerated ACE inhibitor or ARB background therapy. Butler said the study’s primary endpoint is change from baseline in UPCR at 24 weeks.
In the Q&A, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Stephen Burke addressed what the company views as a clinically relevant outcome for UPCR at 24 weeks, saying Akebia would like to see results “on par with what was seen with sparsentan,” or “something around a 20% improvement in the change in UPCR” over what is achievable with ACE inhibitors and ARBs. Burke added that a key metric will be the proportion of patients reaching UPCR below 0.7 grams per gram, which he called “the approvable endpoint now for FSGS,” and said it would drive the decision on whether to proceed to Phase III.
Butler and Burke were also asked whether FILSPARI’s recent approval is relevant to enrollment. Butler said the approval is positive for patients and shows FDA support for new treatments in the population, while Burke said he does not anticipate the approval will have a significant impact on enrollment, describing it as likely to become a background therapy because many patients will not respond.
Butler also discussed AKB-097 (abribafus, or “Ebri”), described as a tissue-targeted anti-C3d complement inhibitor. He said initial data suggest it “quickly leaves the bloodstream” to target tissue sites of complement activation such as the kidney, which the company believes could avoid increased reinfection risk seen with some current complement inhibitors and support lower dosing and a more convenient regimen. Akebia expects to initiate a Phase II open-label basket trial in the second half of the year in IgA nephropathy, lupus nephritis, and C3 glomerulopathy, with initial data expected to begin in 2027 due to the open-label design.
Finally, Butler said the company initiated a Phase I study of AKB-9090, an internally developed HIF-PH inhibitor candidate with an initial focus on preventing acute kidney injury associated with cardiac surgery. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled SAD/MAD study is designed to evaluate safety, tolerability, and pharmacodynamics in up to 70 healthy adult participants, with top-line data expected in early 2027.
Financial results: Auryxia decline offsets Vafseo growth; cash runway of at least two years
Chief Financial and Chief Business Officer Erik Ostrowski reported total revenue of $53.5 million in the first quarter of 2026, down from $57.3 million in the prior-year period. The decrease was driven by lower Auryxia revenue, partially offset by higher Vafseo revenue.
Vafseo net product revenue: $15.8 million in Q1 2026 versus $12.0 million in Q1 2025 (a 32% increase). Auryxia net product revenue: $36.2 million in Q1 2026 versus $43.8 million in Q1 2025, which Ostrowski said was driven by lower Auryxia price. License, collaboration, and other revenue: $1.6 million in Q1 2026 versus $1.5 million in Q1 2025.
Ostrowski said an additional generic form of Auryxia has entered the market on top of an authorized generic that has been available for the past year, and that the increased generic competition is consistent with Akebia’s expectations and prior guidance. He reiterated that the company expects Auryxia revenue to decline in 2026 compared with 2025.
On expenses, cost of goods sold rose to $12.3 million from $7.6 million, primarily due to higher inventory write-downs related to excess, obsolescence, and scrap “primarily related to Auryxia.” R&D expense increased to $14.8 million from $9.8 million, driven by higher clinical trial activity for praliciguat and AKB-9090 and higher headcount costs. SG&A expense increased to $30.4 million from $25.7 million, also due to higher headcount-related costs.
Akebia posted a net loss of $9.1 million in Q1 2026 compared with net income of $6.1 million in Q1 2025. Ostrowski attributed the swing to lower Auryxia revenues and higher expenses.
Cash and cash equivalents were $162.6 million as of March 31, 2026, down from $184.8 million at the end of 2025, which Ostrowski said reflected the quarterly net loss and a decrease in working capital. He said the company expects its existing cash resources and cash from operations to be sufficient to fund its operating plan for “at least two years.”
About Akebia Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AKBA)
Akebia Therapeutics, Inc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is focused on the development and commercialization of therapies for patients with kidney disease. The company's lead product candidate, vadadustat, is an investigational oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor designed to treat anemia associated with chronic kidney disease in both dialysis-dependent and non-dialysis patients. Akebia's research and development efforts also extend to preclinical programs targeting nephrology and related metabolic disorders.
Since its founding in 2007, Akebia has pursued strategic collaborations to advance its clinical pipeline and expand its market reach.
The article "Akebia Therapeutics Q1 Earnings Call Highlights" was originally published by MarketBeat.
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- Akebia Therapeutics (AKBA) Reports Q1 Loss, Misses Revenue Estimates
May 7, 2026
Akebia Therapeutics (AKBA) came out with a quarterly loss of $0.03 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.01. This compares to earnings of $0.03 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.
This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -125.56%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this kidney disease treatment developer would post a loss of $0.03 per share when it actually produced a loss of $0.05, delivering a surprise of -66.67%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates just once.
Akebia Therapeutics, which belongs to the Zacks Medical - Drugs industry, posted revenues of $53.54 million for the quarter ended March 2026, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.2%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $57.34 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates two times over the last four quarters.
The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.
Akebia Therapeutics shares have lost about 8.1% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 7.6%.
What's Next for Akebia Therapeutics?
While Akebia Therapeutics has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?
There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.
Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.
Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Akebia Therapeutics was unfavorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to underperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is -$0.01 on $58.32 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $0.03 on $247.75 million in revenues for the current fiscal year.
Story Continues
Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Medical - Drugs is currently in the top 39% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
Shionogi & Co., Ltd. Unsponsored ADR (SGIOY), another stock in the same industry, has yet to report results for the quarter ended March 2026.
This company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.15 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +7.1%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.
Shionogi & Co., Ltd. Unsponsored ADR's revenues are expected to be $989.1 million, up 44.1% from the year-ago quarter.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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- Akebia Therapeutics (AKBA) Reports Q1 Loss, Misses Revenue Estimates
May 7, 2026 · zacks.com
Akebia Therapeutics (AKBA) came out with a quarterly loss of $0.03 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.01. This compares to earnings of $0.03 per share a year ago.
- Akebia Therapeutics Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results and Commercial and Pipeline Highlights
May 7, 2026 · globenewswire.com
Q1 2026 Vafseo® (vadadustat) net product revenues grew to $15.8 million ; Q1 2026 total net product revenues of $52.0 million Number of patients treated with Vafseo increased 60% in Q1 2026 compared to Q4 2025 Akebia hosted virtual R&D Day highlighting robust kidney disease pipeline, outlining clinical trial plans and timing of expected data catalysts Patient enrollment continues to progress in praliciguat Phase 2 clinical trial in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) Akebia to host conference call on May 7, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. EST CAMBRIDGE, Mass.
- AKEBIA THERAPEUTICS REPORTS FIRST QUARTER 2026 FINANCIAL RESULTS AND COMMERCIAL AND PIPELINE HIGHLIGHTS
May 7, 2026
Q1 2026 VAFSEO® (VADADUSTAT) NET PRODUCT REVENUES GREW TO $15.8 MILLION ; Q1 2026 TOTAL NET PRODUCT REVENUES OF $52.0 MILLION NUMBER OF PATIENTS TREATED WITH VAFSEO INCREASED 60% IN Q1 2026 COMPARED TO Q4 2025 AKEBIA HOSTED VIRTUAL R&D DAY HIGHLIGHTING ROBUST KIDNEY DISEASE PIPELINE, OUTLINING CLINICAL TRIAL PLANS AND TIMING OF EXPECTED DATA CATALYSTS PATIENT ENROLLMENT CONTINUES TO PROGRESS IN PRALICIGUAT PHASE 2 CLINICAL TRIAL IN FOCAL SEGMENTAL GLOMERULOSCLEROSIS (FSGS) AKEBIA TO HOST CONFERENCE CALL ON MAY 7, 2026, AT 8:00 A.M. EST CAMBRIDGE, MASS.
- United Therapeutics (UTHR) Misses Q1 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
May 6, 2026
United Therapeutics (UTHR) came out with quarterly earnings of $5.82 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6.73 per share. This compares to earnings of $6.63 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.
This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -13.58%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this drugmaker would post earnings of $6.78 per share when it actually produced earnings of $7.7, delivering a surprise of +13.57%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times.
United Therapeutics, which belongs to the Zacks Medical - Drugs industry, posted revenues of $781.5 million for the quarter ended March 2026, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.36%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $794.4 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates just once over the last four quarters.
The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.
United Therapeutics shares have added about 17.4% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 6%.
What's Next for United Therapeutics?
While United Therapeutics has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?
There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.
Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.
Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for United Therapeutics was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $6.96 on $816.16 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $27.97 on $3.27 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.
Story Continues
Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Medical - Drugs is currently in the top 35% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
Another stock from the same industry, Akebia Therapeutics (AKBA), has yet to report results for the quarter ended March 2026.
This kidney disease treatment developer is expected to post quarterly loss of $0.01 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -133.3%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.
Akebia Therapeutics' revenues are expected to be $56.48 million, down 1.5% from the year-ago quarter.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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- Akebia Therapeutics Reports Inducement Grants Under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)
May 4, 2026 · globenewswire.com
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Akebia Therapeutics®, Inc. (Nasdaq: AKBA), a biopharmaceutical company with the purpose to better the lives of people impacted by kidney disease, granted 7 newly-hired employees options to purchase an aggregate of 208,800 shares of Akebia's common stock on April 30, 2026.
