CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Akebia Therapeutics^®, Inc. (Nasdaq: AKBA), a biopharmaceutical company with the purpose to better the lives of people impacted by kidney disease, today announced the launch of AkebiaShares, a peer-to-peer educational program series for the kidney community to virtually connect and to support one another and patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through virtual discussions and events, AkebiaShares aims to bring together kidney professionals who can share information and best practices on topics related to providing continuous care to patients.

The first AkebiaShares educational session is a virtual panel discussion for kidney professionals about CKD patient care in the COVID-19 environment. The virtual panel discussion will take place on Thursday, June 25, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Open registration for the complimentary event is available at: https://portal.xyvid.com/akebiashares. 

The discussion will be moderated by Richard J. Lund, M.D., a nephrologist at Omaha Nephrology, P.C. and Jessianna Saville, MS, RDN, CSR, LD, CLT, a renal dietitian and founder of The Kidney RD.  

Panelists include:

• Karen Robertson, DNP, ANP, Nurse Practitioner at Carolina Nephrology
• German Hernandez, M.D. Nephrologist, El Paso Kidney Specialists

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a significant public health challenge. The panel participants will share their experiences and discuss the evolving ways kidney patient care teams engage with and support patients since COVID-19 has emerged. Specifically, the participants plan to cover mitigation strategies for reducing transmission of COVID-19 between patients and providers, telehealth best practices and interest among patients in home therapies modalities.

"Our inaugural AkebiaShares program is especially timely as people with CKD are among those most at risk for health complications or interruptions of care during the global COVID-19 pandemic," said Steven K. Burke, M.D., Senior Vice President, Research & Development and Chief Medical Officer of Akebia. "As a physician, I value collaboration among leaders in the field and believe it critical to advancing patient care through education. AkebiaShares provides an additional outlet for discussion within the kidney community and is an important aspect of our commitment to improve the lives of people with kidney disease."

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. The Company was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Akebia Therapeutics Contact
Kristen K. Sheppard, Esq.
ir@akebia.com 

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SOURCE Akebia Therapeutics