* hypersensitivity to vadadustat or any of its excipients * placed on mechanical ventilation before randomization * hemoglobin above the gender-specific upper limit of normal (uln) at randomization: 16 g/dl for females and 18 g/dl for males * patients who have erythrocytosis or polycythemia vera * patient taking probenecid, lopinavir or ritonavir * women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or positive pregnancy test before randomization * patients not on maintenance dialysis with egfc \< 31 ml/min * patients who have received a solid organ transplant, heart, kidney, liver or lung * patients who are prisoners * patients who are currently do not resuscitate (dnr) or do not intubate (dni) * patients with modified rankin scale of 3 or greater * patient who are currently enrolled in any other interventional clinical trial

* hypersensitivity to vadadustat or any of its excipients * placed on mechanical ventilation before randomization * hemoglobin above the gender-specific upper limit of normal (uln) at randomization: 16 g/dl for females and 18 g/dl for males * patients who have erythrocytosis or polycythemia vera * patient taking probenecid, lopinavir or ritonavir * women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or positive pregnancy test before randomization * patients not on maintenance dialysis with egfc \< 31 ml/min * patients who have received a solid organ transplant, heart, kidney, liver or lung * patients who are prisoners * patients who are currently do not resuscitate (dnr) or do not intubate (dni) * patients with modified rankin scale of 3 or greater * patient who are currently enrolled in any other interventional clinical trial

- hypersensitivity to vadadustat or any of its excipients - placed on mechanical ventilation before randomization - hemoglobin above the gender-specific upper limit of normal (uln) at randomization: 16 g/dl for females and 18 g/dl for males - patients who have erythrocytosis or polycythemia vera - patient taking probenecid, lopinavir or ritonavir - women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or positive pregnancy test before randomization - patients not on maintenance dialysis with egfc < 31 ml/min - patients who have received a solid organ transplant, heart, kidney, liver or lung - patients who are prisoners - patients who are currently do not resuscitate (dnr) or do not intubate (dni) - patients with modified rankin scale of 3 or greater - patient who are currently enrolled in any other interventional clinical trial

- hypersensitivity to vadadustat or any of its excipients - placed on mechanical ventilation before randomization - hemoglobin above the gender-specific upper limit of normal (uln) at randomization: 16 g/dl for females and 18 g/dl for males - patients who have erythrocytosis or polycythemia vera - patient taking probenecid, lopinavir or ritonavir - women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or positive pregnancy test before randomization - patients not on maintenance dialysis with egfc < 31 ml/min - patients who have received a solid organ transplant, heart, kidney, liver or lung - patients who are prisoners - patients who are currently do not resuscitate (dnr) or do not intubate (dni) - patients with modified rankin scale of 3 or greater - patient who are currently enrolled in any other interventional clinical trial

- males with hemoglobin > 17.5 g/dl or females >15.5 g/dl. - hypersensitivity to vadadustat or any of its excipients - placed on mechanical ventilation before randomization - hemoglobin above the gender-specific upper limit of normal (uln) at randomization - aspartate aminotransferase (ast), alanine aminotransferase (alt), or total bilirubin >2.0 x uln at randomization - patients who have erythrocytosis or polycythemia vera - patient taking probenecid as it can increase vadadustat exposure. - women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or positive pregnancy test before randomization - patients on maintenance dialysis - patients who have received a solid organ transplant - patients who are prisoners - do not resuscitate (dnr)/do not intubate (dni) patients

- males with hemoglobin > 17.5 g/dl or females >15.5 g/dl. - hypersensitivity to vadadustat or any of its excipients - placed on mechanical ventilation before randomization - hemoglobin above the gender-specific upper limit of normal (uln) at randomization - aspartate aminotransferase (ast), alanine aminotransferase (alt), or total bilirubin >2.0 x uln at randomization - patients who have erythrocytosis or polycythemia vera - patient taking probenecid as it can increase vadadustat exposure. - women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or positive pregnancy test before randomization - patients on maintenance dialysis - patients who have received a solid organ transplant - patients who are prisoners - do not resuscitate (dnr)/do not intubate (dni) patients