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( Mark One ) X UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington , D.C. 20549 ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( d ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31 , 2020 OR TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( d ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 Commission File Number 001-36352 FORM 10 - K AKEBIA THERAPEUTICS , INC . ( Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter ) Large accelerated filer Non - accelerated filer Delaware ( State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization ) Title of each class Common Stock , par value $ 0.00001 per share 245 First Street , Cambridge , MA ( Address of principal executive offices ) Registrant's telephone number , including area code : ( 617 ) 871-2098 X 20-8756903 ( I.R.S. Employer Identification No. ) Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( b ) of the Act : Trading Symbol ( s ) AKBA Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( g ) of the Act : None Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well - known seasoned issuer , as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act . Yes > No Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15 ( d ) of the Act . Yes No > Indicate by check mark whether the registrant : ( 1 ) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15 ( d ) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports ) , and ( 2 ) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days . Yes No 02142 ( Zip Code ) Name of each exchange on which registered The Nasdaq Global Market Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S - T ( § 232.405 of this chapter ) during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files ) . Yes No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer , an accelerated filer , a non - accelerated filer , a smaller reporting company , or an emerging growth company . See the definitions of " large accelerated filer , " " accelerated filer , " " smaller reporting company , ” and “ emerging growth company " in Rule 12b - 2 of the Exchange Act . Accelerated Filer Smaller reporting company Emerging growth company If an emerging growth company , indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13 ( a ) of the Exchange Act . □ DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management's assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 ( b ) of the Sarbanes - Oxley Act ( 15 U.S.C. 7262 ( b ) ) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report . Indicate by check mark whether registrant is a shell company ( as defined in Rule 12b - 2 of the Exchange Act ) . Yes No The aggregate market value of the voting and non - voting common equity held by non - affiliates of the registrant , based on the closing price of the registrant's Common Stock on The Nasdaq Global Market on June 30 , 2020 , was $ 1,913,868,347 . The number of shares of registrant's Common Stock outstanding as of February 19 , 2021 was 153,502,435 .