Viking Therapeutics VKTX introduced that it has began the part II VENTURE-Oral Dosing examine to judge the security and efficacy of the oral model of its investigational weight problems drug VK2735.
This examine’s major endpoint is the p.c change in physique weight from baseline after 13 weeks of therapy. Administration plans to enroll round 280 adults who’re both overweight or chubby and have a minimum of one weight-related co-morbid situation. These sufferers will probably be evenly randomized to one of many six dosing arms of the drug or placebo.
The examine initiation is supported by information from a part I examine, which confirmed that sufferers who had been administered the drug misplaced as much as 8.2% of theirbody weight after 28 days of every day dosing in contrast with 1.4% within the placebo group. All sufferers who took the best drug dose misplaced a minimum of 5% of their physique weight.
Based mostly on a preliminary analysis of the above outcomes, Viking believes that extending the therapy length for oral VK2735 past 28 days could present additional reductions in physique weight.
VKTX Supplies Replace on Injectable Model of Weight problems Drug
Alongside the above information, Viking Therapeutics additionally introduced that it plans to begin a late-stage examine on the subcutaneous (SC) formulation of VK2735 by the primary half of 2025.
The corporate’s plans to begin this late-stage examine are supported by information from the part II VENTURE examine, which evaluated once-weekly VK2735 SC for 13 weeks. The examine met its major and all secondary endpoints with statistical significance. Therapy with the SC model achieved statistically vital reductions in imply physique weight, ranging as much as 14.7%.
VKTX Inventory’s Efficiency
Viking’s shares have surged over 88% prior to now 12 months towards the industry’s 15% decline.
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Stiff Competitors within the Weight problems House
The weight problems market has garnered a lot curiosity currently, with two corporations, Eli Lilly LLY and Novo Nordisk NVO, dominating this house with their respective weight problems medicine Zepbound and Wegovy. Per a research conducted by Goldman Sachs, the weight problems market in america is predicted to succeed in $100 billion by 2030. That is additionally evident from the truth that Lilly and Novo are investing closely to optimize their manufacturing capacities and have began evaluating a number of different novel weight problems candidates.
Anticipating the large demand for weight problems medicine, a number of corporations, corresponding to Roche RHHBY, Amgen and Merck, are additionally growing their respective medicine and making speedy progress within the house.
Roche forayed into the weight problems market after it acquired privately owned Carmot Therapeutics for $2.7 billion final 12 months. The acquisition gave Roche entry to Carmot’s differentiated portfolio of incretins, together with its lead belongings — CT-388, CT-996 and CT-868. A twin GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist, CT-388 is being evaluated for the therapy of weight problems in sufferers with and with out kind 2 diabetes, injected subcutaneously as soon as every week.
In November, Amgen introduced 52-week top-line information from a part II examine on MariTide, its GLP-1 remedy for weight problems. The information confirmed that the drug led to approximately 20% common weight reduction over 52 weeks with out reaching a weight reduction plateau. Amgen plans to conduct a broad part III program on MariTide throughout weight problems, obesity-related situations and type-II diabetes.
The most recent entrant within the weight problems house is Merck, which lately secured a licensing deal for an investigational oral weight-loss drug developed by China-based Hansoh Pharma.
Viking Therapeutics, Inc. Worth
Viking Therapeutics, Inc. price | Viking Therapeutics, Inc. Quote
VKTX’s Zacks Rank
Viking Therapeutics at present carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Maintain). You possibly can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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