Nature of Organization and Operations	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Nature of Organization and Operations	1. Nature of Organization and Operations Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (Akebia, or the Company) is a biopharmaceutical focused on the development of novel proprietary therapeutics based on hypoxia inducible factor, or HIF, biology and the commercialization of these products for patients with serious unmet medical needs. HIF is the primary regulator of the production of red blood cells, or RBCs, in the body and a potentially novel mechanism for the treatment of anemia secondary to chronic kidney disease, or CKD. Pharmacologic modulation of the HIF pathway may also have broader therapeutic applications in acute renal failure, organ protection, ischemia-reperfusion injury, cancer, ophthalmology, and inflammatory diseases. The Company’s lead product candidate, vadadustat, formerly known as AKB-6548, is a promising cost-effective alternative for the treatment of anemia. Vadadustat is being developed as a once-daily, oral therapy and has successfully completed Phase 2 development demonstrating that vadadustat can safely and predictably raise hemoglobin levels in patients with anemia related to CKD. The Company’s operations to date have been limited to organizing and staffing the Company, business planning, raising capital, acquiring and developing its technology, identifying potential product candidates and undertaking preclinical and clinical studies. The Company has not generated any product revenue to date, nor is there any assurance of any future product revenue. The Company’s product candidates are subject to long development cycles and there is no assurance the Company will be able to successfully develop, obtain regulatory approval for or market its product candidates. The Company is subject to a number of risks including, but not limited to, the need to obtain adequate additional funding including the resources necessary to fund its recently commenced global Phase 3 development of vadadustat, in dialysis and non-dialysis patients. In December 2015, the Company began dosing patients in its Phase 3 vadadustat program in non-dialysis patients with anemia related to CKD, PRO₂TECT, after obtaining feedback from United States and European regulatory authorities regarding the design of the program. The Company also expects to initiate its Phase 3 vadadustat program in dialysis-dependent CKD patients, INNO₂VATE, in 2016, anticipating full enrollment by early 2018. The Company has engaged a clinical research organization for the PRO₂TECT and INNO₂VATE programs. The Company expects the cost of the Phase 3 program to be in the range of $80,000 to $85,000 per patient and it plans to enroll approximately 3,100 patients in PRO₂TECT and approximately 2,600 patients in INNO₂VATE. The Company is also subject to a number of risks including the need to obtain adequate additional funding, possible failure of preclinical testing or clinical trials, the need to obtain marketing approval for its product candidates, the development of new technological innovations by competitors, the need to successfully commercialize and gain market acceptance of any of the Company’s products that are approved and the ability to protect its proprietary technology. If the Company does not successfully commercialize any of its products, it will be unable to generate product revenue or achieve profitability. On March 25, 2014, the Company completed its initial public offering, or IPO, whereby the Company sold 6,762,000 shares of common stock, including 879,647 shares of common stock pursuant to the full exercise of an over-allotment option granted to the underwriters in connection with the offering, at a price of $17.00 per share. The shares began trading on the NASDAQ Global Market on March 20, 2014. The aggregate net proceeds received by the Company from the offering were $104.4 million, net of underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses. Upon the closing of the IPO, all outstanding shares of convertible redeemable preferred stock converted into 12,115,183 shares of common stock. Additionally, the Company is now authorized to issue up to 175,000,000 shares of common stock and 25,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock. In April 2015, the Company completed a follow-on public offering whereby the Company sold 8,363,636 shares of common stock, including 1,090,909 share of common stock pursuant to the full exercise of an over-allotment granted to the underwriters in connection with the offering, at a price of $8.25 per share. The aggregate net proceeds received by the Company from the offering were approximately $64.6 million, net of underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses. In August 2015, the Company entered into a Sales Agreement with Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. to periodically sell up to $50 million of shares of the Company’s common stock in an “at-the-market” (ATM) offering. In January 2016, the Company terminated the Sales Agreement in order to use the shares for the January 2016 follow-on offering. During 2015, prior to the termination, the Company sold 1,719,434 shares of common stock pursuant to the Sales Agreement. The aggregate net proceeds received by the Company were approximately $18.4 million, net of commissions. No additional shares of the Company’s common stock will be sold pursuant to the Sales Agreement. In December 2015, we entered into a collaboration agreement with Mitsubishi Tanabe to develop and commercialize vadadustat in Japan and certain other countries in Asia for total milestone payments of up to $350 million, including up to $100 million in upfront and development payments, of which $40.0 million was received in January 2016. Of the $40.0 million received, $20.0 million is subject to refund to Mitsubishi depending on the outcome of discussions with the Japanese regulator about the global trial design. In addition, we will receive tiered double-digit royalty payments on sales of vadadustat. In January 2016, the Company completed a follow-on public whereby the Company sold 7,250,000 shares of common stock at a price of $9.00 per share. The aggregate net proceeds received by the Company from the offering were approximately $61.0 million, net of underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by the Company. The Company believes that it can continue as a going concern as its cash resources of approximately $138.5 million at December 31, 2015 will be sufficient to allow the Company to fund its current operating plan through at least the next twelve months. There can be no assurance, however, that the current operating plan will be achieved in the timeframe anticipated by the Company, or that its cash resources will fund the Company’s operating plan for the period anticipated by the Company or that additional funding will be available on terms acceptable to the Company, or at all. Unless otherwise indicated, all information in these condensed consolidated financial statements gives retrospective effect to the 1.75-for-1 stock split of the Company’s common stock (the Stock Split) that was effected on March 6, 2014 (see Note 6), as well as any other stock-splits in historical periods. The Company was incorporated on February 27, 2007 under the laws of the State of Delaware.

1. Nature of Organization and Operations

Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (Akebia, or the Company) is a biopharmaceutical focused on the development of novel proprietary therapeutics based on hypoxia inducible factor, or HIF, biology and the commercialization of these products for patients with serious unmet medical needs. HIF is the primary regulator of the production of red blood cells, or RBCs, in the body and a potentially novel mechanism for the treatment of anemia secondary to chronic kidney disease, or CKD. Pharmacologic modulation of the HIF pathway may also have broader therapeutic applications in acute renal failure, organ protection, ischemia-reperfusion injury, cancer, ophthalmology, and inflammatory diseases. The Company’s lead product candidate, vadadustat, formerly known as AKB-6548, is a promising cost-effective alternative for the treatment of anemia. Vadadustat is being developed as a once-daily, oral therapy and has successfully completed Phase 2 development demonstrating that vadadustat can safely and predictably raise hemoglobin levels in patients with anemia related to CKD.

The Company’s operations to date have been limited to organizing and staffing the Company, business planning, raising capital, acquiring and developing its technology, identifying potential product candidates and undertaking preclinical and clinical studies. The Company has not generated any product revenue to date, nor is there any assurance of any future product revenue. The Company’s product candidates are subject to long development cycles and there is no assurance the Company will be able to successfully develop, obtain regulatory approval for or market its product candidates.

The Company is subject to a number of risks including, but not limited to, the need to obtain adequate additional funding including the resources necessary to fund its recently commenced global Phase 3 development of vadadustat, in dialysis and non-dialysis patients. In December 2015, the Company began dosing patients in its Phase 3 vadadustat program in non-dialysis patients with anemia related to CKD, PRO₂TECT, after obtaining feedback from United States and European regulatory authorities regarding the design of the program. The Company also expects to initiate its Phase 3 vadadustat program in dialysis-dependent CKD patients, INNO₂VATE, in 2016, anticipating full enrollment by early 2018. The Company has engaged a clinical research organization for the PRO₂TECT and INNO₂VATE programs. The Company expects the cost of the Phase 3 program to be in the range of $80,000 to $85,000 per patient and it plans to enroll approximately 3,100 patients in PRO₂TECT and approximately 2,600 patients in INNO₂VATE.

The Company is also subject to a number of risks including the need to obtain adequate additional funding, possible failure of preclinical testing or clinical trials, the need to obtain marketing approval for its product candidates, the development of new technological innovations by competitors, the need to successfully commercialize and gain market acceptance of any of the Company’s products that are approved and the ability to protect its proprietary technology. If the Company does not successfully commercialize any of its products, it will be unable to generate product revenue or achieve profitability.

On March 25, 2014, the Company completed its initial public offering, or IPO, whereby the Company sold 6,762,000 shares of common stock, including 879,647 shares of common stock pursuant to the full exercise of an over-allotment option granted to the underwriters in connection with the offering, at a price of $17.00 per share. The shares began trading on the NASDAQ Global Market on March 20, 2014. The aggregate net proceeds received by the Company from the offering were $104.4 million, net of underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses. Upon the closing of the IPO, all outstanding shares of convertible redeemable preferred stock converted into 12,115,183 shares of common stock. Additionally, the Company is now authorized to issue up to 175,000,000 shares of common stock and 25,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock.

In April 2015, the Company completed a follow-on public offering whereby the Company sold 8,363,636 shares of common stock, including 1,090,909 share of common stock pursuant to the full exercise of an over-allotment granted to the underwriters in connection with the offering, at a price of $8.25 per share. The aggregate net proceeds received by the Company from the offering were approximately $64.6 million, net of underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses.

In August 2015, the Company entered into a Sales Agreement with Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. to periodically sell up to $50 million of shares of the Company’s common stock in an “at-the-market” (ATM) offering. In January 2016, the Company terminated the Sales Agreement in order to use the shares for the January 2016 follow-on offering. During 2015, prior to the termination, the Company sold 1,719,434 shares of common stock pursuant to the Sales Agreement. The aggregate net proceeds received by the Company were approximately $18.4 million, net of commissions. No additional shares of the Company’s common stock will be sold pursuant to the Sales Agreement.

In December 2015, we entered into a collaboration agreement with Mitsubishi Tanabe to develop and commercialize vadadustat in Japan and certain other countries in Asia for total milestone payments of up to $350 million, including up to $100 million in upfront and development payments, of which $40.0 million was received in January 2016. Of the $40.0 million received, $20.0 million is subject to refund to Mitsubishi depending on the outcome of discussions with the Japanese regulator about the global trial design. In addition, we will receive tiered double-digit royalty payments on sales of vadadustat.

In January 2016, the Company completed a follow-on public whereby the Company sold 7,250,000 shares of common stock at a price of $9.00 per share. The aggregate net proceeds received by the Company from the offering were approximately $61.0 million, net of underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by the Company.

The Company believes that it can continue as a going concern as its cash resources of approximately $138.5 million at December 31, 2015 will be sufficient to allow the Company to fund its current operating plan through at least the next twelve months. There can be no assurance, however, that the current operating plan will be achieved in the timeframe anticipated by the Company, or that its cash resources will fund the Company’s operating plan for the period anticipated by the Company or that additional funding will be available on terms acceptable to the Company, or at all.

Unless otherwise indicated, all information in these condensed consolidated financial statements gives retrospective effect to the 1.75-for-1 stock split of the Company’s common stock (the Stock Split) that was effected on March 6, 2014 (see Note 6), as well as any other stock-splits in historical periods.

The Company was incorporated on February 27, 2007 under the laws of the State of Delaware.