Particle.news

Viking’s VK2735 Shows Durable Weight Loss With Less‑Frequent Dosing

Top‑line maintenance data point to every‑other‑week and monthly schedules that could boost patient adherence while investors await longer follow‑up to judge a commercial edge.

Overview

  • Viking released top‑line maintenance results on Tuesday showing VK2735 produced a 22% placebo‑adjusted weight loss over 33 weeks at the 17.5 mg weekly dose.
  • In the 21‑week induction phase, once‑weekly VK2735 delivered about 16% to 19% mean weight loss versus roughly 0% for placebo.
  • During the 12‑week maintenance phase, every‑other‑week dosing preserved up to 97% of prior weight loss and monthly dosing preserved up to 90%, while the placebo group retained 61%.
  • Maintenance safety was favorable, with gastrointestinal adverse event rates similar to placebo and only a small number of discontinuations reported.
  • The readout sent Viking shares sharply higher and divided analysts; the company reported about $502 million in cash and plans a Part 2 to test oral maintenance dosing as the market watches for longer, larger trials and head‑to‑head data.