Viking Therapeutics Faces Major Clinical Challenges Ahead
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Apr 03 2026
0mins
Should l Buy VKTX?
Source: Fool
- Clinical Trial Progress: Viking Therapeutics' leading candidate VK2735 is undergoing two 78-week phase 3 studies, with the second recently completing enrollment; strong results could significantly enhance the company's competitive position in the rapidly growing weight-loss market.
- Massive Market Potential: Analysts predict VK2735 could generate peak sales of $14.4 billion in the U.S. and $7.2 billion in Europe, totaling $21.6 billion, and if it matches Eli Lilly's Zepbound, Viking's stock price could soar.
- Oral Drug Advantage: Viking's oral VK2735 completed phase 2 studies last year, and if it performs well in pivotal trials, it will further solidify its market position, particularly in attracting patients hesitant about injectable medications.
- Risks and Challenges: Despite the optimistic outlook, Viking Therapeutics faces clinical and regulatory risks, and increasing competition may hinder its commercial success, necessitating cautious evaluation of potential risks by investors.
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Analyst Views on VKTX
Wall Street analysts forecast VKTX stock price to rise
12 Analyst Rating
12 Buy
0 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 31.720
Low
70.00
Averages
97.00
High
125.00
Current: 31.720
Low
70.00
Averages
97.00
High
125.00
About VKTX
Viking Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that is focused on the development of therapies for the treatment of metabolic and endocrine disorders. Its clinical programs include VK2735, a novel dual agonist of the glucagon-like peptide 1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptors for the potential treatment of various metabolic disorders. It is evaluating an oral formulation of VK2735 in a Phase II trial. It is also developing VK2809, a novel, orally available, small molecule selective thyroid hormone receptor beta agonist for the treatment of lipid and metabolic disorders. Its newest program is evaluating a series of internally developed dual amylin and calcitonin receptor agonists for the treatment of obesity and other metabolic disorders. In the rare disease space, it is developing VK0214, a novel, orally available, small molecule selective thyroid hormone receptor beta agonist for the potential treatment of X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
VK2735 Clinical Trial Shows Significant Weight Loss
- Significant Weight Loss: VK2735 demonstrated a maximum weight reduction of 12.2% (26.6 lbs) over 13 weeks, showing a dose-dependent effect without a plateau across all cohorts, indicating its potential in obesity treatment.
- High Efficacy and Tolerability: Among VK2735-treated participants, 97% achieved ≥5% weight loss and 80% achieved ≥10%, significantly surpassing the placebo group's 10% and 5%, showcasing its superior efficacy.
- Strong Clinical Applicability: The study population had an average BMI of 37 and an average age of 51, with 54% having pre-diabetes, indicating that VK2735's trial demographics closely resemble those typically encountered in clinical practice, enhancing its market viability.
- Promising Future Development: The oral formulation of VK2735 is poised to become the first marketed dual agonist of GLP-1 and GIP, and combined with the ongoing subcutaneous formulation, it may offer patients a more flexible treatment option, boosting the company's competitive edge in the metabolic disease sector.
See More
VK2735 Clinical Trial Shows Significant Weight Loss Results
- Significant Weight Loss: VK2735 demonstrated a weight reduction of up to 12.2% (26.6 lbs) over 13 weeks, showcasing a dose-dependent effect that began early in treatment, indicating its potential in obesity management.
- High Patient Success Rate: Up to 97% of VK2735-treated participants achieved ≥5% weight loss, and 80% achieved ≥10%, significantly outperforming the placebo group's 10% and 5%, highlighting its superior efficacy.
- Favorable Tolerability: The majority of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) associated with VK2735 were mild or moderate, typically occurring early in treatment and resolving with continued dosing, indicating its safety in clinical use.
- Broad Clinical Application Potential: The oral formulation of VK2735 is poised to become the first marketed dual agonist of GLP-1 and GIP, offering patients a transition from injections to oral administration, addressing market demand for more convenient treatment options.
See More
Viking Therapeutics Accelerates Obesity Drug Development
- Clinical Trial Progress: Viking Therapeutics has fully enrolled both late-stage Vanquish studies ahead of schedule, with over 4,500 and 1,000 patients respectively, indicating the company's proactive positioning in the obesity drug market despite pressure from competitors like Pfizer.
- Financial Challenges: The company reported a Q1 net loss of $158.3 million, or $1.37 per share, which is more than triple the $45.6 million loss from the previous year, while R&D expenses surged to $150.2 million, reflecting high investment in obesity drug development.
- Intensifying Market Competition: Pfizer highlighted obesity drugs as a major future growth driver in its latest earnings report, anticipating that its $10 billion Metsera deal will lead to strong growth post-2028, thereby intensifying competition in the obesity drug market.
- Investor Sentiment: Despite financial pressures, VKTX maintains an 'extremely bullish' sentiment among retail investors, with a 700% surge in message volume over 24 hours, indicating strong market confidence in its obesity drug VK2735.
See More
Viking Therapeutics Showcases VK2735 Clinical Data at ECO 2026
- Clinical Data Presentation: Viking Therapeutics will showcase two posters on VK2735 at the 2026 European Congress on Obesity, focusing on key efficacy and safety data from the 13-week VENTURE-Oral trial, which is expected to attract industry attention and potentially drive future investments.
- VK2735's Potential: As a dual agonist of GLP-1 and GIP receptors, VK2735 is being developed for the treatment of metabolic disorders like obesity, demonstrating a favorable safety and tolerability profile that could provide strategic advantages in a competitive market.
- Diverse Population Study Design: The second poster will highlight the design and participant demographics of the ongoing VANQUISH-1 trial, aimed at assessing VK2735's efficacy in adults with obesity or overweight, reflecting the company's commitment to diverse patient populations.
- Future Development Direction: Viking Therapeutics is focused on developing first-in-class or best-in-class therapies, and the success of VK2735 could pave the way for its subsequent product lines, further solidifying its leadership position in the metabolic disease treatment space.
See More
Investor Sentiment on Viking Therapeutics Amid Market Volatility
- Optimistic Market Outlook: Despite a 15% decline in Viking Therapeutics' stock this year, Wall Street remains optimistic, projecting a 207% increase over the next 12 months with a price target of $92.33, reflecting confidence in its growth potential.
- Obesity Drug Development: Viking is developing the anti-obesity drug VK2735, currently undergoing two phase 3 clinical trials for obese patients with and without diabetes, where positive results could serve as a significant catalyst for stock price appreciation.
- Massive Market Demand: With obesity rates in the U.S. estimated at around 40% by the CDC and potentially as high as 70% according to recent studies, there exists a substantial unmet need in the obesity drug market that Viking aims to address with its products.
- Risks and Opportunities: While Viking faces competition from major pharmaceutical companies like Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, successful clinical trial outcomes for VK2735 could yield substantial market rewards, though investors should be wary of the stock's inherent volatility.
See More
Eli Lilly Leads Weight Loss Drug Market with New Launch
- Market Share Growth: Eli Lilly has captured a 60% market share in the GLP-1 drug sector, surpassing competitor Novo Nordisk, indicating strong growth potential in the weight loss drug market, particularly as head-to-head studies demonstrate superior weight loss results.
- Significant Revenue Increase: Lilly's Mounjaro revenue surged 125% year-over-year to $8.6 billion, while Zepbound revenue rose 80% to $4.1 billion, providing robust financial backing for future investments and research and development initiatives.
- Successful Launch of Foundayo: The newly launched weight loss pill Foundayo has already reached 20,000 patients within a month, with 80% being new users of this drug class, indicating that it not only replaces injectable GLP-1 drugs but also opens new market opportunities.
- Clear Competitive Advantage: Unlike Novo Nordisk's oral Wegovy, Foundayo does not require fasting, reducing usage restrictions for patients and enhancing convenience, which may further drive Lilly's market share growth in the GLP-1 sector.
See More
VK2735 Clinical Trial Shows Significant Weight Loss
- Significant Weight Loss: VK2735 demonstrated a maximum weight reduction of 12.2% (26.6 lbs) over 13 weeks, showing a dose-dependent effect without a plateau across all cohorts, indicating its potential in obesity treatment.
- High Efficacy and Tolerability: Among VK2735-treated participants, 97% achieved ≥5% weight loss and 80% achieved ≥10%, significantly surpassing the placebo group's 10% and 5%, showcasing its superior efficacy.
- Strong Clinical Applicability: The study population had an average BMI of 37 and an average age of 51, with 54% having pre-diabetes, indicating that VK2735's trial demographics closely resemble those typically encountered in clinical practice, enhancing its market viability.
- Promising Future Development: The oral formulation of VK2735 is poised to become the first marketed dual agonist of GLP-1 and GIP, and combined with the ongoing subcutaneous formulation, it may offer patients a more flexible treatment option, boosting the company's competitive edge in the metabolic disease sector.
See More
VK2735 Clinical Trial Shows Significant Weight Loss Results
- Significant Weight Loss: VK2735 demonstrated a weight reduction of up to 12.2% (26.6 lbs) over 13 weeks, showcasing a dose-dependent effect that began early in treatment, indicating its potential in obesity management.
- High Patient Success Rate: Up to 97% of VK2735-treated participants achieved ≥5% weight loss, and 80% achieved ≥10%, significantly outperforming the placebo group's 10% and 5%, highlighting its superior efficacy.
- Favorable Tolerability: The majority of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) associated with VK2735 were mild or moderate, typically occurring early in treatment and resolving with continued dosing, indicating its safety in clinical use.
- Broad Clinical Application Potential: The oral formulation of VK2735 is poised to become the first marketed dual agonist of GLP-1 and GIP, offering patients a transition from injections to oral administration, addressing market demand for more convenient treatment options.
See More
Viking Therapeutics Accelerates Obesity Drug Development
- Clinical Trial Progress: Viking Therapeutics has fully enrolled both late-stage Vanquish studies ahead of schedule, with over 4,500 and 1,000 patients respectively, indicating the company's proactive positioning in the obesity drug market despite pressure from competitors like Pfizer.
- Financial Challenges: The company reported a Q1 net loss of $158.3 million, or $1.37 per share, which is more than triple the $45.6 million loss from the previous year, while R&D expenses surged to $150.2 million, reflecting high investment in obesity drug development.
- Intensifying Market Competition: Pfizer highlighted obesity drugs as a major future growth driver in its latest earnings report, anticipating that its $10 billion Metsera deal will lead to strong growth post-2028, thereby intensifying competition in the obesity drug market.
- Investor Sentiment: Despite financial pressures, VKTX maintains an 'extremely bullish' sentiment among retail investors, with a 700% surge in message volume over 24 hours, indicating strong market confidence in its obesity drug VK2735.
See More
Viking Therapeutics Showcases VK2735 Clinical Data at ECO 2026
- Clinical Data Presentation: Viking Therapeutics will showcase two posters on VK2735 at the 2026 European Congress on Obesity, focusing on key efficacy and safety data from the 13-week VENTURE-Oral trial, which is expected to attract industry attention and potentially drive future investments.
- VK2735's Potential: As a dual agonist of GLP-1 and GIP receptors, VK2735 is being developed for the treatment of metabolic disorders like obesity, demonstrating a favorable safety and tolerability profile that could provide strategic advantages in a competitive market.
- Diverse Population Study Design: The second poster will highlight the design and participant demographics of the ongoing VANQUISH-1 trial, aimed at assessing VK2735's efficacy in adults with obesity or overweight, reflecting the company's commitment to diverse patient populations.
- Future Development Direction: Viking Therapeutics is focused on developing first-in-class or best-in-class therapies, and the success of VK2735 could pave the way for its subsequent product lines, further solidifying its leadership position in the metabolic disease treatment space.
See More
Investor Sentiment on Viking Therapeutics Amid Market Volatility
- Optimistic Market Outlook: Despite a 15% decline in Viking Therapeutics' stock this year, Wall Street remains optimistic, projecting a 207% increase over the next 12 months with a price target of $92.33, reflecting confidence in its growth potential.
- Obesity Drug Development: Viking is developing the anti-obesity drug VK2735, currently undergoing two phase 3 clinical trials for obese patients with and without diabetes, where positive results could serve as a significant catalyst for stock price appreciation.
- Massive Market Demand: With obesity rates in the U.S. estimated at around 40% by the CDC and potentially as high as 70% according to recent studies, there exists a substantial unmet need in the obesity drug market that Viking aims to address with its products.
- Risks and Opportunities: While Viking faces competition from major pharmaceutical companies like Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, successful clinical trial outcomes for VK2735 could yield substantial market rewards, though investors should be wary of the stock's inherent volatility.
See More
Eli Lilly Leads Weight Loss Drug Market with New Launch
- Market Share Growth: Eli Lilly has captured a 60% market share in the GLP-1 drug sector, surpassing competitor Novo Nordisk, indicating strong growth potential in the weight loss drug market, particularly as head-to-head studies demonstrate superior weight loss results.
- Significant Revenue Increase: Lilly's Mounjaro revenue surged 125% year-over-year to $8.6 billion, while Zepbound revenue rose 80% to $4.1 billion, providing robust financial backing for future investments and research and development initiatives.
- Successful Launch of Foundayo: The newly launched weight loss pill Foundayo has already reached 20,000 patients within a month, with 80% being new users of this drug class, indicating that it not only replaces injectable GLP-1 drugs but also opens new market opportunities.
- Clear Competitive Advantage: Unlike Novo Nordisk's oral Wegovy, Foundayo does not require fasting, reducing usage restrictions for patients and enhancing convenience, which may further drive Lilly's market share growth in the GLP-1 sector.
See More
