Akebia Therapeutics Reports Inducement Grants Under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)

Rhea-AI Summary

Akebia Therapeutics (Nasdaq: AKBA) granted inducement stock options to two newly hired employees on November 28, 2025 under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

The awards total 22,576 options with an exercise price of $1.58 per share (equal to the closing price on the grant date). Options vest over four years (25% at the first anniversary, then quarterly vesting for the remaining 75%), have a 10-year term, and are governed by Akebia’s inducement award program and stock option agreement.

News Market Reaction

-2.65%

1 alert

-2.65% News Effect

-$11M Valuation Impact

$419M Market Cap

0.0x Rel. Volume

On the day this news was published, AKBA declined 2.65%, reflecting a moderate negative market reaction. This price movement removed approximately $11M from the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $419M at that time.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

Inducement options granted: 22,576 options Option exercise price: $1.58 per share Share price: $1.66 +5 more

8 metrics

Inducement options granted 22,576 options Granted to two newly hired employees on November 28, 2025

Option exercise price $1.58 per share Equal to AKBA closing price on the November 28, 2025 grant date

Share price $1.66 Pre-news price level from market context

20-day average volume 4,201,916 shares Pre-news 20-day average trading volume

Today’s volume 2,494,918 shares Pre-news trading volume on the publication date

Vesting schedule 4 years 25% after 1 year, remaining 75% quarterly thereafter

Initial vesting tranche 25% of shares Vesting on first anniversary of the grant date

Option term 10 years Contractual life of each inducement stock option

Market Reality Check

Price: $1.38 Vol: Volume 2,494,918 is at 0....

low vol

$1.38 Last Close

Volume Volume 2,494,918 is at 0.59x the 20-day average of 4,201,916, indicating lighter-than-normal trading before this filing. low

Technical Shares at $1.66 are trading below the 200-day MA of $2.71 and about 59.3% under the 52-week high.

Peers on Argus

Peers in Pharmaceutical Preparations showed mixed moves: AQST +1.44%, ORGO +1.06...

Peers in Pharmaceutical Preparations showed mixed moves: AQST +1.44%, ORGO +1.06%, SIGA +3.49%, ESPR +6.25%, while DVAX declined 0.82%, suggesting company-specific factors rather than a uniform sector move.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Dec 01 (Neutral)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Dec 01	Inducement option grants	Neutral	-2.6%	Inducement stock options for two new employees under Nasdaq Rule 5635(c)(4).
Dec 01	Pipeline expansion	Positive	-4.4%	Launch of rare kidney disease pipeline with AKB-097 and praliciguat Phase 2 plans.
Nov 24	Conference participation	Neutral	+2.6%	Planned fireside chat at Piper Sandler 37th Annual Healthcare Conference.
Nov 10	Q3 2025 earnings	Positive	-18.1%	Higher Q3 2025 revenues, return to profitability, and updated Vafseo/Auryxia metrics.
Nov 06	Clinical data update	Positive	-5.2%	Post-hoc INNO2VATE data showing more favorable mortality and hospitalization outcomes.

Pattern Detected

Recent positive clinical, pipeline, and earnings updates often coincided with negative next-day price moves, indicating a pattern of divergence between seemingly favorable news and short-term market reaction.

Recent Company History

This announcement of inducement stock options follows a period of active corporate and clinical updates. On Nov 10, 2025, Akebia reported Q3 2025 results with total revenue of $58.8M and net income of $0.5M, yet the stock fell 18.14%. Positive Vafseo post‑hoc data on Nov 6, 2025 and the new rare kidney disease pipeline update on Dec 1, 2025 also saw negative reactions. Against that backdrop, this administrative equity grant under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4) represents a routine compensation event rather than a strategic shift.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement outlined routine inducement stock options totaling 22,576 shares at an exercise pr...

Analysis

This announcement outlined routine inducement stock options totaling 22,576 shares at an exercise price of $1.58 under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). The options vest over four years and carry a 10-year term, representing standard hiring-related equity compensation. In context, Akebia had recently reported stronger Q3 2025 results and new pipeline initiatives, so investors may focus more on upcoming clinical and commercial milestones than on this administrative grant.

Key Terms

Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)

1 terms

Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4) regulatory

"The options were granted in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)."

NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c)(4) is a rule that requires a company to get approval from its shareholders before selling a large amount of its shares, usually over 20%. This helps protect investors by making sure the company doesn't flood the market with new shares without their say, which could lower the stock's value.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Dec. 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Akebia Therapeutics^®, Inc. (Nasdaq: AKBA), a biopharmaceutical company with the purpose to better the lives of people impacted by kidney disease, granted two newly-hired employees options to purchase an aggregate of 22,576 shares of Akebia’s common stock on November 28, 2025. The options were granted as an inducement material to each employee entering into employment with Akebia. The options were granted in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

The options have an exercise price of $1.58 per share, which is equal to the closing price of Akebia’s common stock on the grant date. The stock options vest over four years, with 25% of the shares vesting on the first anniversary of the grant date and the remaining 75% of shares vesting quarterly thereafter, in each case, subject to the new employee’s continued service with Akebia. Each stock option has a 10-year term and is subject to the terms and conditions of Akebia’s inducement award program and a stock option agreement covering the grant.

About Akebia Therapeutics

Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. is a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company with the purpose to better the lives of people impacted by kidney disease. Akebia was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit our website at www.akebia.com, which does not form a part of this release.

Akebia Therapeutics Contact

Mercedes Carrasco
mcarrasco@akebia.com

FAQ

What did Akebia (AKBA) announce on December 1, 2025 about executive hires and stock options?

Akebia announced inducement grants of 22,576 stock options to two new employees granted on November 28, 2025.

What is the exercise price of the AKBA inducement options granted November 28, 2025?

The exercise price is $1.58 per share, equal to Akebia’s closing stock price on the grant date.

How do the AKBA inducement stock options vest and when do they expire?

Options vest over four years (25% after one year, then quarterly for 75%) and have a 10-year term.

Under which rule were Akebia’s November 28, 2025 option grants made?

The grants were made under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4) as inducement awards for new hires.

Do Akebia’s inducement options affect existing shareholder approvals?

The company reported the grants as inducement awards under Nasdaq rules; no shareholder approval was stated in the announcement.

How many employees received inducement grants and how many options were awarded by Akebia?

Two newly hired employees received a total of 22,576 options.