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): March 12, 2021

Akero Therapeutics, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

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:

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

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 x

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. ¨

Item 5.03. Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year.

On March 12, 2021, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Akero Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) amended and restated the Company’s Second Amended and Restated By-laws in order to amend Section 8 of Article VI to designate the federal district courts of the United States of America as the exclusive jurisdiction for any litigation arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Amended and Restated Bylaws”). The Board approved the Amended and Restated Bylaws, among other reasons, in order to seek to reduce any potential expenses that the Company may incur in connection with any such actions or proceedings by seeking to avoid the Company being required to defend any such potential actions or proceedings in multiple jurisdictions and in parallel proceedings in federal and state courts simultaneously.

The foregoing summary and description of the provisions of the Amended and Restated Bylaws does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Amended and Restated Bylaws, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 3.1 with this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

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.