Cramer's Lightning Round: "I'll be skipping Zoom"
- Viking Therapeutics: The company is viewed positively, with a suggestion to "own Eli Lilly" as a strong investment choice.
- Altria Group: The speaker expresses personal reservations about recommending the stock but acknowledges its potential.
- Zoom: While the company is considered good, the lack of a compelling reason to recommend it leads to a decision to pass on investment.
- ProFrac: The speaker is currently negative on oil stocks, predicting a decline and advising against investment in that sector.
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- Clinical Trial Progress: Viking announced the enrollment of approximately 1,000 patients with obesity or overweight type 2 diabetes in the late-stage trial of VK2735, with a primary endpoint assessing weight change after 78 weeks, which could significantly enhance its market competitiveness if successful.
- Significant Drug Efficacy: In a mid-stage trial, VK2735 achieved a mean weight loss of 14.7% in 13 weeks, establishing a solid foundation for its subsequent clinical development and potentially attracting more investor interest.
- Market Potential: According to Koyfin, GPCR stock has a 12-month target of $109, implying a 147.95% upside, while VKTX's target is $92.72, representing a 209.80% upside, indicating strong prospects for both companies in the obesity drug market.
- Investor Sentiment Shift: While VKTX stock has risen 24% this year, GPCR has surged 154%, reflecting differing market perceptions, with VKTX sentiment remaining neutral and GPCR appearing more bearish.
- Market Potential: The GLP-1 weight loss market is projected to reach annual sales of $100 billion by the next decade, presenting a significant growth opportunity for Viking Therapeutics and its VK2735 candidate, especially with the potential launch of an oral version.
- Clinical Trial Progress: The injectable version of VK2735 is currently in phase 3 clinical trials, while the oral version completed phase 2 trials last year with highly promising initial results, laying a solid foundation for future commercialization.
- Acquisition Potential: Should VK2735 achieve commercial viability, Viking could become a takeover target in the biotech sector, with acquisition offers potentially reaching three times its current $4 billion market cap, reflecting strong market expectations for its future.
- Investment Risks and Opportunities: Viking's stock presents a binary risk, where the success or failure of VK2735 will directly impact its share price; despite the high risks, the potential rewards are equally substantial, necessitating careful position sizing by investors to navigate possible volatility.
- Significant Market Potential: The GLP-1 weight loss market is projected to reach annual sales of $100 billion by the next decade, providing Viking Therapeutics' VK2735 with substantial market opportunities, particularly with the promising results expected from its oral version's clinical trials.
- Critical Clinical Trial Phase: The injectable VK2735 is currently in phase 3 clinical trials, while the oral version's phase 2 trial completed last year with promising initial results, which will directly impact Viking's stock performance depending on the outcomes of these trials.
- Acquisition Potential: Should VK2735 achieve commercial viability, Viking's market cap of approximately $4 billion could attract acquisition offers potentially reaching three times its current valuation, highlighting its appeal as a biotech stock.
- Risks and Opportunities: While the outlook for VK2735 is optimistic, the stock carries significant volatility risks; Viking's shares once approached $100 but currently trade around $32, necessitating careful risk-reward assessment by investors.
- Trial Enrollment Completed: Viking announced that its late-stage clinical trial for VK2735 has enrolled approximately 1,000 patients with type 2 diabetes, aiming for significant weight loss over 78 weeks, which is expected to positively impact future drug approvals.
- Drug Development Outlook: Viking plans to advance the oral version of VK2735 into late-stage studies in Q3 2026, with CEO stating that the company will have four late-stage trials by the end of 2026, demonstrating confidence in its development pipeline.
- Market Sentiment Improvement: Viking's stock rose 3% on Thursday amid speculation of a potential buyout and FDA approval, with retail investor sentiment shifting from 'bearish' to 'neutral', indicating increased confidence in the company's future prospects.
- Competitive Advantage Analysis: VK2735 is dubbed the “Ozempic killer” and has the potential to dethrone Eli Lilly's products in the obesity drug market, while Viking also plans to file for trials of a novel amylin agonist this quarter to further expand its obesity drug portfolio.
Viking's Clinical Trial Announcement: Viking Therapeutics has announced a competition for patient enrollment in its late-stage clinical trial for the subcutaneous drug VK2735, aimed at weight loss, with plans to advance the oral version into late-stage studies by Q3 2026.
Stock Performance and Market Sentiment: Shares of Viking Therapeutics rose by 3% amid speculation of a potential buyout and positive retail sentiment, improving from 'bearish' to 'neutral' over the past 24 hours.
Trial Details and Expectations: The trial has enrolled around 1,000 patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity, focusing on the percentage change in body weight after 78 weeks of treatment, with previous trials showing significant weight loss results.
Future Developments: Viking is also looking to file an application for trials of a novel amylin agonist this quarter, as it seeks to expand its obesity portfolio, with CEO Brian Lian expressing optimism about the upcoming year.

- Phase 3 Enrollment Completed: Viking Therapeutics announced the completion of enrollment for its Phase 3 trial of VK2735, marking a significant step in its competition within the GLP-1 obesity drug market, currently dominated by Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy.
- Trial Design Details: The VANQUISH-2 study will assess the efficacy and safety of VK2735 administered via subcutaneous injection once weekly for 78 weeks, aiming to provide long-term efficacy data to support future market positioning.
- Multiple Administration Forms: Viking is developing VK2735 in both oral and subcutaneous formulations for potential treatment of metabolic disorders like obesity, which may appeal to a broader patient demographic due to the flexibility in administration options.
- Market Reaction: Despite the progress in clinical trials, Viking Therapeutics' shares fell 1% in Thursday's pre-market trading, reflecting a cautious market sentiment, particularly as retail investor sentiment trends bearish on Stocktwits.










