Viking Plans To Go Directly To Phase III With Obesity Drug

Progress In Oral Formulation

 
• By Alaric DeArment
  
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In its Q2 earnings call, the biotech expressed optimism about developing VK2735 as a monthly injection, with an oral version moving into Phase II. An EOP2 meeting for its MASH drug is expected in Q4.

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Viking Therapeutics, Inc. may be behind the big players in the obesity market, but its GLP-1/GIP agonist candidate VK2735 is moving into Phase III faster than expected, possibly with monthly dosing; the firm may also have a competitive edge in the form of an oral version set to enter mid-stage clinical testing this year. Meanwhile, the company is planning to meet with regulators in the wake of last month’s Phase II readout for its metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) drug.

The San Diego-based biotech, which does not have any marketed products, announced its second quarter earnings on 24 July, reporting...

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