# EDGAR Filing Document

**Accession Number:** 0001744659
**File Stem:** 0001193125-25-223188
**Filing Date:** 2025-9
**Character Count:** 5548
**Document Hash:** 488c1f4669eab85c67d43cb147beb11d
**Contains OCR:** False
**Source Format:** 

## Filing Content

## Filing Summary
**0001193125-25-223188.hdr.sgml**: 20250929

**ACCESSION NUMBER**: 0001193125-25-223188

**CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE**: 8-K

**PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT**: 12

**CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT**: 20250923

**ITEM INFORMATION**: Termination of a Material Definitive Agreement

**FILED AS OF DATE**: 20250929

**DATE AS OF CHANGE**: 20250929

**FILER**: 

**COMPANY DATA:**
- **COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:** Akero Therapeutics, Inc.
- **CENTRAL INDEX KEY:** 0001744659
- **STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:** PHARMACEUTICAL PREPARATIONS [2834]
- **ORGANIZATION NAME:** 03 Life Sciences
- **EIN:** 000000000
- **STATE OF INCORPORATION:** DE
- **FISCAL YEAR END:** 1231

**FILING VALUES:**
- **FORM TYPE:** 8-K
- **SEC ACT:** 1934 Act
- **SEC FILE NUMBER:** 001-38944
- **FILM NUMBER:** 251356054

**BUSINESS ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 601 GATEWAY BOULEVARD, SUITE 350
- **CITY:** SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO
- **STATE:** CA
- **ZIP:** 94080
- **BUSINESS PHONE:** 650-487-6488

**MAIL ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 601 GATEWAY BOULEVARD, SUITE 350
- **CITY:** SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO
- **STATE:** CA
- **ZIP:** 94080

?xml version='1.0' encoding='ASCII'? 8-K

### UNITED STATES

### SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

#### Washington, D.C. 20549

### FORM 8-K

#### CURRENT REPORT

#### Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

#### of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

#### Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): September 23, 2025

## Akero Therapeutics, Inc.

#### (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Delaware** | **001-38944** | **81-5266573** |
| **(State or other jurisdiction**<br> **of incorporation)** | **(Commission**<br> **File Number)** | **(I.R.S. Employer**<br> **Identification No.)** |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **601 Gateway Boulevard, Suite 350**<br> **South San Francisco, CA** | **94080** |
| **(Address of principal executive offices)** | **(Zip Code)** |

---

#### Registrant's telephone number, including area code (650) 487-6488

#### Not Applicable

#### (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Title of each class** | **Trading symbol(s)** | **Name of each exchange<br>on which registered** |
| Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share | AKRO | The Nasdaq Global Select Market |

---

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

------

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Item 1.02** | **Termination of a Material Definitive Agreement**  |

---

On September 23, 2025, Akero Therapeutics, Inc. (the "Company") completed a voluntary prepayment of all outstanding principal, accrued and unpaid interest, fees, costs and expenses, equal to $37.6 million in the aggregate (the "Payoff Amount"), under the Loan and Security Agreement (as amended, the "Loan Agreement"), dated as of June 15, 2022 between the Company and Hercules Capital, Inc. ("Hercules"), which was subsequently amended on June 7, 2023 and February 28, 2024. Upon receipt by Hercules of the Payoff Amount on September 23, 2025, all obligations, covenants, debts and liabilities of the Company under the Loan Agreement were satisfied and discharged in full, and the Loan Agreement and all other documents entered into in connection with the Loan Agreement, other than the Warrants (as defined in the Loan Agreement), were terminated.

The Loan Agreement provided for a term loan with aggregate maximum borrowings of up to $150 million (the "Term Loan"). Under the Loan Agreement, the Company borrowed $35 million. The Term Loan bore interest at a variable annual rate equal to the greater of either (a) 7.65% and (b) the prime rate (as reported in the Wall Street Journal) plus 3.65%. Interest-only payments on the borrowings under the Loan Agreement were due through January 1, 2026. After the interest-only payment period, borrowings under the Loan Agreement were due in equal monthly payments of principal and accrued interest until the maturity date of March 1, 2027.

------

#### SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| Date: September 29, 2025 | **AKERO THERAPEUTICS, INC.** | **AKERO THERAPEUTICS, INC.** |
|  | By: | /s/ Andrew Cheng |
|  | Name:<br> Title: | Andrew Cheng, M.D., Ph.D.<br> President and Chief Executive Officer |

---