Viking Therapeutics (VKTX) reported promising early results for its experimental obesity pill, with increased weight loss at higher doses. Viking stock was indicated sharply higher overnight, set to break out of a base.
Patients taking 100-miligram doses of Viking’s VK2735 lost 8.2% of their body weight after 28 days, or 6.8% more than those taking a placebo. That’s according to the biotech’s presentation at the ObesityWeek meeting on Sunday.
No patients taking the highest dose stopped taking it. Some 92 people in the study took various doses of the experimental obesity pill.
An oral drug would be preferred over injections, such as the diabetes and weight-loss drugs made by Eli Lilly (LLY) and Novo Nordisk (NVO).
In March 2024, Viking reported that patients taking a 40-mg oral dose lost 5.3% of body weight after 28 days, or 3.3% vs. a placebo.
Viking Therapeutics Stock
Viking stock skyrocketed 21% to about 88 in overnight trading on Robinhood. Shares have an 81.73 cup-with-handle buy point.
The handle formed after Viking said it plans to test another obesity drug that works in four different ways. Eli Lilly is working on a new weight-loss drug that works in three ways. Lilly’s current obesity drug, Zepbound, works in two ways.
VKTX stock spiked 21% on Oct. 24 and 6.6% the following session.
Eli Lilly stock fell slightly on Robinhood. Shares plunged 8.3% last week on Eli Lilly’s earnings miss, amid sales miss for Zepbound and its diabetes treatment Mounjaro.
Please follow Ed Carson on Threads at @edcarson1971 and X/Twitter at @IBD_ECarson for stock market updates and more.
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