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 a net loss of $22
Key Takeaways
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In its Q2 earnings report, Viking said it plans to skip Phase IIb testing of VK2735 and move the GLP-1/GIP agonist directly into Phase III for obesity, which could cut development time by 12 months.
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The biotech also expressed optimism about the potential to develop the subcutaneous formulation of VK2735 for monthly use. It is also moving ahead with an oral formulation of the drug