Viking Starts VK2735 Phase 3; GI Safety Matches Placebo
VKTX sits 70% above its 52-week low of $24.52 on elevated volume (14× avg).
Summary
Viking has initiated the Phase 3 Vanquish program for VK2735, its GLP-1/GIP obesity candidate, with approximately 5,500 patients enrolled. New safety data show that over 12 weeks of maintenance, gastrointestinal adverse event rates and discontinuations were comparable to placebo, and the induction phase had only a 1% discontinuation rate due to adverse events. This follows yesterday's positive Phase 2 maintenance results, reinforcing the drug's tolerability profile as it advances toward pivotal data. The clean GI safety signal is a key differentiator in the competitive obesity space and supports the ongoing Phase 3 program.
At the time of this announcement, VKTX was trading at $41.68 on NASDAQ in the Life Sciences sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $4.8B. The 52-week trading range was $24.52 to $43.15. This news item was assessed with positive market sentiment and an importance score of 7 out of 10. Source: Wiseek News.