Viking Therapeutics: What's Next?
Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ: VKTX) delivered one of the most anticipated obesity readouts of the year -- and Wall Street promptly panicked. Shares plummeted 40% after the company released Phase 2 results from its oral VK2735, dropping from $42 to around $26 as investors fixated on tolerability concerns.
Look closer, though. At just 13 weeks, VK2735's 12.2% weight loss signal is unusually strong -- though direct comparisons are imperfect since Eli Lilly's orforglipron and Novo Nordisk's (NYSE: NVO) oral semaglutide achieved their respective 12.4% and 15% results over 68 to 72 weeks. The discontinuation rate of 28% versus 18% for placebo -- driven mainly by gastrointestinal side effects from aggressive titration -- appears addressable with refined dosing protocols.
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Source Fool.com
