Nature of Organization and Operations	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Nature of Organization and Operations	1. Nature of Organization and Operations Akebia Therapeutics, Inc., referred to as Akebia or the Company, was incorporated in the State of Delaware in 2007. Akebia is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing novel therapeutics for patients based on hypoxia-inducible factor, or HIF, biology, and building its pipeline while leveraging its development and commercial expertise in renal disease. HIF is the primary regulator of the production of red blood cells, or RBCs, in the body, as well as other important metabolic functions. Pharmacologic modulation of the HIF pathway may have broad therapeutic applications. The Company’s lead product candidate, vadadustat, is an oral therapy in Phase 3 development, and has the potential to set a new standard of care in the treatment of anemia due to chronic kidney disease, or CKD. The Company’s management team has extensive experience in developing and commercializing drugs for the treatment of renal and metabolic disorders, as well as a deep understanding of HIF biology. This unique combination of HIF and renal expertise is enabling the Company to advance a pipeline of HIF-based therapies to potentially address serious diseases. Since inception, the Company has devoted most of its resources to research and development, including its preclinical and clinical development activities, raising capital, and providing general and administrative support for these operations. The Company has not generated any product revenue to date and may never generate any product revenue in the future. The Company’s product candidates are subject to long development cycles, and the Company may be unsuccessful in its efforts to develop, obtain marketing 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 the global Phase 3 program for vadadustat in non-dialysis dependent, or NDD-CKD, called PRO₂TECT, and dialysis dependent, or DD-CKD, called INNO₂VATE, risks of clinical trial failures, the risk of relying on third parties, the risk that the Company never achieves profitability, protection of proprietary technology, compliance with governmental regulations, and dependence on key personnel. In December 2015 the first subject was dosed in PRO₂TECT, and the first subject was dosed in INNO₂VATE in August 2016. Overall, the PRO₂TECT and INNO₂VATE Phase 3 programs are designed to enroll up to approximately 6,900 patients. The enrollment numbers and the completion of PRO₂TECT and INNO₂VATE will be subject to the accrual of major adverse cardiovascular events, or MACE. The Company anticipates reporting top-line clinical data for the PRO₂TECT and INNO₂VATE studies in 2019, subject to the accrual of MACE events. Subject to marketing approvals, we plan to launch vadadustat for the treatment of anemia due to CKD in 2020. Through 2017 the Company raised approximately $373.1 million of net proceeds, including $292.6 million from several underwritten public offerings, $30.5 million from an at-the-market offering, or ATM, pursuant to sales agreements with Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. and $50.0 million from the sale of 3,571,429 shares of common stock to Vifor (International) Ltd., or Vifor Pharma. At inception of our collaboration agreements with Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., or Otsuka and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, or MTPC, they committed to approximately $573.0 million or more in cost-share funding, of which we generally continue to receive on a quarterly prepaid basis, and license payments. Of these commitments, we received approximately $272.0 million at the onset of the collaboration agreements. In December 2015, the Company entered into a collaboration agreement with MTPC to develop and commercialize vadadustat in Japan and certain other countries in Asia, collectively, the MTPC Territory, for total payments of up to $245.0 million, comprised of a $20.0 million upfront payment, up to $50.0 million in specified development and regulatory milestones, and up to $175.0 million in specified commercial milestones, as well as tiered double-digit royalty payments up to 20% on sales of vadadustat in the MTPC Territory (Note 3). In December 2016, the Company entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Otsuka to develop and commercialize vadadustat in the United States. In December 2016, the Company received $125.0 million upfront payment, and in March 2017, Otsuka reimbursed the Company approximately $33.8 million for global expenses previously incurred by us for our ongoing global development program for vadadustat in DD-CKD and NDD-CKD patients. The agreement also provides for additional funding for the global development program for vadadustat, totaling $153.6 million or more, depending on the actual global development costs incurred. In addition, Akebia is eligible to receive from Otsuka up to $190.0 million in specified development and regulatory milestones and up to $575.0 million in specified commercial milestones. We will share equally with Otsuka the costs of developing and commercializing vadadustat in the United States and the profits from sales of vadadustat after approval by the FDA (Note 3). In April 2017, the Company entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Otsuka to develop and commercialize vadadustat in Europe, Russia, China, Canada, Australia, the Middle East and certain other territories. In April 2017, the Company received a $73.0 million upfront payment and $0.2 million for global expenses previously incurred by the Company in implementing the current global development plan for vadadustat in DD-CKD and NDD-CKD patients in excess of a specified threshold during the quarter-ended March 31, 2017. The agreement also provides for additional funding for the global development program for vadadustat, totaling $163.6 million or more, depending on the actual global development costs incurred. In addition, Akebia is eligible to receive from Otsuka up to $132.0 million in specified development and regulatory milestones and up to $525.0 million in specified commercial milestones (Note 3). The Company believes that its existing cash and cash equivalents and available for sale securities of approximately $317.8 million at December 31, 2017, together with the committed funding from its collaboration partners, will be sufficient to allow the Company to fund its current operating plan into the second quarter of 2019, and as a result, through at least twelve months from the filing of the Company’s 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K. There can be no assurance, however, that the current operating plan will be achieved in the time frame 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. The Company will require additional capital for the further development of our existing product candidates and will need to raise additional funds to pursue development activities related to additional product candidates. If and until the Company can generate a sufficient amount of revenue from our products, we expect to finance future cash needs through public or private equity or debt offerings, payments from our collaborators, strategic transactions, or a combination of these approaches.

1. Nature of Organization and Operations

Akebia Therapeutics, Inc., referred to as Akebia or the Company, was incorporated in the State of Delaware in 2007. Akebia is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing novel therapeutics for patients based on hypoxia-inducible factor, or HIF, biology, and building its pipeline while leveraging its development and commercial expertise in renal disease. HIF is the primary regulator of the production of red blood cells, or RBCs, in the body, as well as other important metabolic functions. Pharmacologic modulation of the HIF pathway may have broad therapeutic applications. The Company’s lead product candidate, vadadustat, is an oral therapy in Phase 3 development, and has the potential to set a new standard of care in the treatment of anemia due to chronic kidney disease, or CKD. The Company’s management team has extensive experience in developing and commercializing drugs for the treatment of renal and metabolic disorders, as well as a deep understanding of HIF biology. This unique combination of HIF and renal expertise is enabling the Company to advance a pipeline of HIF-based therapies to potentially address serious diseases.

Since inception, the Company has devoted most of its resources to research and development, including its preclinical and clinical development activities, raising capital, and providing general and administrative support for these operations. The Company has not generated any product revenue to date and may never generate any product revenue in the future. The Company’s product candidates are subject to long development cycles, and the Company may be unsuccessful in its efforts to develop, obtain marketing 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 the global Phase 3 program for vadadustat in non-dialysis dependent, or NDD-CKD, called PRO₂TECT, and dialysis dependent, or DD-CKD, called INNO₂VATE, risks of clinical trial failures, the risk of relying on third parties, the risk that the Company never achieves profitability, protection of proprietary technology, compliance with governmental regulations, and dependence on key personnel. In December 2015 the first subject was dosed in PRO₂TECT, and the first subject was dosed in INNO₂VATE in August 2016. Overall, the PRO₂TECT and INNO₂VATE Phase 3 programs are designed to enroll up to approximately 6,900 patients. The enrollment numbers and the completion of PRO₂TECT and INNO₂VATE will be subject to the accrual of major adverse cardiovascular events, or MACE. The Company anticipates reporting top-line clinical data for the PRO₂TECT and INNO₂VATE studies in 2019, subject to the accrual of MACE events. Subject to marketing approvals, we plan to launch vadadustat for the treatment of anemia due to CKD in 2020.

Through 2017 the Company raised approximately $373.1 million of net proceeds, including $292.6 million from several underwritten public offerings, $30.5 million from an at-the-market offering, or ATM, pursuant to sales agreements with Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. and $50.0 million from the sale of 3,571,429 shares of common stock to Vifor (International) Ltd., or Vifor Pharma. At inception of our collaboration agreements with Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., or Otsuka and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, or MTPC, they committed to approximately $573.0 million or more in cost-share funding, of which we generally continue to receive on a quarterly prepaid basis, and license payments. Of these commitments, we received approximately $272.0 million at the onset of the collaboration agreements.

In December 2015, the Company entered into a collaboration agreement with MTPC to develop and commercialize vadadustat in Japan and certain other countries in Asia, collectively, the MTPC Territory, for total payments of up to $245.0 million, comprised of a $20.0 million upfront payment, up to $50.0 million in specified development and regulatory milestones, and up to $175.0 million in specified commercial milestones, as well as tiered double-digit royalty payments up to 20% on sales of vadadustat in the MTPC Territory (Note 3).

In December 2016, the Company entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Otsuka to develop and commercialize vadadustat in the United States. In December 2016, the Company received $125.0 million upfront payment, and in March 2017, Otsuka reimbursed the Company approximately $33.8 million for global expenses previously incurred by us for our ongoing global development program for vadadustat in DD-CKD and NDD-CKD patients. The agreement also provides for additional funding for the global development program for vadadustat, totaling $153.6 million or more, depending on the actual global development costs incurred. In addition, Akebia is eligible to receive from Otsuka up to $190.0 million in specified development and regulatory milestones and up to $575.0 million in specified commercial milestones. We will share equally with Otsuka the costs of developing and commercializing vadadustat in the United States and the profits from sales of vadadustat after approval by the FDA (Note 3).

In April 2017, the Company entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Otsuka to develop and commercialize vadadustat in Europe, Russia, China, Canada, Australia, the Middle East and certain other territories. In April 2017, the Company received a $73.0 million upfront payment and $0.2 million for global expenses previously incurred by the Company in implementing the current global development plan for vadadustat in DD-CKD and NDD-CKD patients in excess of a specified threshold during the quarter-ended March 31, 2017. The agreement also provides for additional funding for the global development program for vadadustat, totaling $163.6 million or more, depending on the actual global development costs incurred. In addition, Akebia is eligible to receive from Otsuka up to $132.0 million in specified development and regulatory milestones and up to $525.0 million in specified commercial milestones (Note 3).

The Company believes that its existing cash and cash equivalents and available for sale securities of approximately $317.8 million at December 31, 2017, together with the committed funding from its collaboration partners, will be sufficient to allow the Company to fund its current operating plan into the second quarter of 2019, and as a result, through at least twelve months from the filing of the Company’s 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K. There can be no assurance, however, that the current operating plan will be achieved in the time frame 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. The Company will require additional capital for the further development of our existing product candidates and will need to raise additional funds to pursue development activities related to additional product candidates. If and until the Company can generate a sufficient amount of revenue from our products, we expect to finance future cash needs through public or private equity or debt offerings, payments from our collaborators, strategic transactions, or a combination of these approaches.