Viking Therapeutics Secures Manufacturing and Advances Key Obesity Drug Trials

Viking Therapeutics secures major manufacturing deal and advances VK2735 into pivotal Phase 3 trials for obesity, with an oral version set to begin this year.

Viking Therapeutics is positioning itself within the highly profitable weight-loss medication sector. The company's lead candidate, VK2735, is now entering pivotal late-stage testing, bringing a potential market approval into clearer view. Concurrently, a major manufacturing agreement has been secured to lock down future supply chain capacity well in advance.

Clinical Pipeline Accelerates Toward Key Milestones

The company's development strategy for VK2735 is progressing on dual tracks: as an injectable therapy and in an oral tablet formulation. Patient enrollment has been completed for the VANQUISH-1 Phase 3 trial, which is investigating the drug for the treatment of obesity. Running in parallel, the VANQUISH-2 study, targeting obese patients with diabetes, is nearing full enrollment.

Following constructive feedback from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Viking plans to initiate a Phase 3 trial for the oral version of VK2735 in the third quarter of this year. A potential competitive edge may lie in its dosing regimen. An ongoing maintenance study is currently evaluating patient-friendly administration intervals, including monthly injections and daily or weekly oral dosing. Less frequent dosing is considered a significant commercial advantage in the competitive metabolic disease market.

Billion-Dose Production Capacity Locked In

In preparation for a potential commercial launch, Viking has entered into a comprehensive manufacturing pact with CordenPharma. This agreement guarantees annual production capacity for hundreds of millions of injection units and over one billion tablets.

Beyond VK2735, the company is steadily advancing its broader research pipeline. An Investigational New Drug (IND) application for a novel amylin agonist program is slated for submission before the end of the current first quarter.

With its contracted production scale and advanced clinical programs, Viking is reinforcing its strategic ambitions in the metabolic disorder sector. The next key data catalyst for investors will be the results from the maintenance study, expected in the third quarter.