U.S. Renal Care Presents Analysis of VOICE Trial Demonstrating Favorable Safety Outcomes for Patients Treated with Vadadustat Versus an ESA During a Late-Breaking Session at American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week
Key Highlights
- ➤VOICE trial’s primary endpoint achieved superiority, with win odds of 1.16 and p=0.0016
- ➤Vadadustat cut hospitalization rates 10% versus ESA, with no mortality difference
- ➤Vadadustat produced 121.5 serious adverse events per 100 patient-years versus ESA’s 134.2
- ➤Vadadustat reduced odds of hemoglobin above 12 g/dL by 64% versus ESA
- ➤Vadadustat reduced odds of ESA rescue by 28% versus ESA treatment
Expert Statements
Geoffrey A. Block, Associate Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President, Clinical Research & Medical Affairs for U.S. Renal Care
“The VOICE trial was designed to test the hypothesis that an innovative treatment for anemia in patients on dialysis could deliver more than just hemoglobin management, but rather could deliver clinically meaningful outcomes versus ESA.”
Geoffrey A. Block, Associate Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President, Clinical Research & Medical Affairs for U.S. Renal Care
“The VOICE trial data demonstrated that treatment with vadadustat resulted in a statistically significant reduction in the primary composite endpoint of all-cause mortality and hospitalization, with the results driven by a reduction in hospitalization, versus patients treated with ESA.”
Geoffrey A. Block, Associate Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President, Clinical Research & Medical Affairs for U.S. Renal Care
“Further, we observed that patients treated with vadadustat experienced fewer high hemoglobin excursions and lower ESA rescue versus patients treated with ESA, both clinically meaningful outcomes.”
Geoffrey A. Block, Associate Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President, Clinical Research & Medical Affairs for U.S. Renal Care
“We’re extremely pleased that the data validated our understanding of the potential clinical benefit of vadadustat, which we believe positions vadadustat to become a new standard of care.”
Geoffrey A. Block, Associate Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President, Clinical Research & Medical Affairs for U.S. Renal Care
“We are grateful to the thousands of patient volunteers who have participated, as well as, the USRC Kidney Research team, investigators, and the staff at participating facilities, all without whom we would not have been able to complete this meaningful trial.”
WALTHAM, Mass., Oct. 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Akebia Therapeutics(®), Inc. (Nasdaq: AKBA), a biopharmaceutical company with the purpose to better the lives of people impacted by kidney disease announced that U.S. Renal Care (USRC), the nation’s largest privately held and fastest-growing kidney care provider, presented data from the Vafseo Outcomes In Center Experience (VOICE) trial during a late-breaking session at American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week 2026 (ASN Kidney Week). The presentation highlighted findings of significantly improved safety outcomes in patients treated with vadadustat, a hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor (HIF-PHI) dosed three times weekly (TIW) versus an erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA). Additional data showed more stable hemoglobin control and fewer serious adverse events in the patients treated with vadadustat.
In March 2024, Vafseo(®) (vadadustat), was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of anemia due to chronic kidney disease in adults who have been receiving dialysis for at least three months, and it has been available in the U.S. since January 2025. Vafseo is approved for once-daily administration. There are no other oral HIF-PHIs to treat anemia in the market or in development in the U.S.
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