Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX) finished enrolling patients in a clinical trial designed to test how different dosing schedules of its experimental obesity drug can help people keep weight off, a key step in its bid to compete with established giants in the metabolic space.
The Phase 1 study includes approximately 180 adults with obesity who will transition to various "maintenance" regimens after an initial 19-week weight-loss period.
These regimens include monthly, bi-weekly, and weekly injections, as well as daily or weekly oral tablets.
The trial aims to determine how effectively patients can maintain their weight loss using different delivery methods and frequencies through Week 31.
San Diego-based Viking is positioning its candidate, VK2735, as a versatile alternative to existing treatments like Eli Lilly & Co.’s Zepbound and Novo Nordisk A/S’s Wegovy.
By using the same dual GLP-1/GIP agonist molecule for both its injectable and oral versions, Viking hopes to offer "treatment flexibility" that allows patients to switch between a pill and a shot without changing the underlying medication.
The company is also moving forward with a massive late-stage program.
The VANQUISH-1 trial, which has enrolled roughly 4,650 participants, and the VANQUISH-2 study, targeting 1,100 patients with type 2 diabetes, are evaluating the drug over a 78-week period.
Results from these pivotal trials are expected in late 2026, while the data from the maintenance study is slated for release later this year.
Obesity drugs have become the pharmaceutical industry's biggest growth driver, with analysts projecting the market could reach $100 billion by the end of the decade.
Viking’s ability to offer a maintenance pill could prove a significant advantage in ensuring long-term patient adherence, which remains a primary challenge for the current generation of injectable weight-loss therapies.