John P. Butler Form 4 Akebia Therapeutics / John P. Butler ownership change

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

Butler John P.

(Last) (First) (Middle)

C/O AKEBIA THERAPEUTICS, INC.

245 FIRST STREET

(Street)

CAMBRIDGE MA 02142

(City) (State) (Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. [ AKBA ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

X	Director	10% Owner
X	Officer (give title below)	Other (specify below)
CEO and President

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
01/19/2017

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	01/19/2017		M		20,000(1)	A	$0.47	373,480(2)	D

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Stock Option (Right to buy)	$0.47	01/19/2017		M			20,000	(3)	09/16/2023	Common Stock	20,000	$0.00	387,000	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. This transaction represents the acquisition of common stock as a result of the exercise and hold of derivative securities reported in Table II.

2. The total amount of beneficial securities includes 1,500 shares of stock purchased on June 30, 2016 at $6.35 per share and 807 shares of stock purchased on December 30, 2016 at $6.48 per shares in connection with the Issuer's Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

3. 25% of this option vested on September 16, 2014. The remaining shares vest in equal monthly installments through September 1, 2017.

Remarks:

	Nicole R. Hadas, attorney-in-fact for John P. Butler	01/23/2017
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
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