17 April 2015 - Biopharmaceutical company Akebia Therapeutics (Nasdaq:AKBA) stated on Thursday that it has priced its public offering of 7,272,727 common stock at USD8.25 per share.The company has provided the underwriters with a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,090,909 shares of common stock in connection with the offering.Net proceeds will be used by the company to continue clinical development of AKB-6548 in patients with anemia secondary to chronic kidney disease, initiation of Phase 3 trials, to advance its preclinical candidate, AKB-6899, through Phase 1 development in oncology, working capital as well as for general corporate purposes.After deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other estimated offering expenses, the company expects net proceeds of approximately USD56.1m.This offering is expected to close on 22 April 2015, subject to customary closing conditions.UBS Investment Bank & Morgan Stanley are the joint book-running managers.