Viking Therapeutics VK2735 Results

Viking Therapeutics said in a press release on Sept. 22, 2026, that VK2735 results showed substantial weight loss at week 33 and that participants retained most losses after switching to monthly or every-other-week dosing.

Efficacy and Dosing

Viking described VK2735 as a dual agonist of the glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptors. The VK2735-102 study was randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled in adults with obesity. Participants received weekly subcutaneous dosing for a 21-week induction period. Mean weight loss across VK2735 dose groups ranged from about 16% to 19%, compared with roughly 0% for placebo. The company reported statistical significance at p<0.0001 versus baseline and placebo and noted no plateau during the induction period.

An exploratory cohort continuing a 17.5 mg weekly dose reached approximately 21.7% mean weight loss at week 33. Viking characterized this as a 22% placebo-adjusted reduction; secondary summaries cited about 0.3% mean weight gain for placebo in the comparison.

Maintenance Durability and Safety

After transitioning from weekly treatment, Viking reported that every-other-week dosing maintained up to 97% of mean induction weight loss over a 12-week maintenance period, while monthly dosing preserved up to 90%. The placebo-transition group retained 61% of prior loss. Separation from placebo appeared as early as four weeks after transition, with statistical significance at p<0.0001 for every-other-week dosing and p=0.0002 for monthly dosing.

Gastrointestinal adverse events during maintenance—including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation—occurred at rates comparable to placebo. Discontinuation rates were low across induction and maintenance cohorts.

Secondary summaries described a dataset of about 180 adults with obesity. At week 21, across combined VK2735 groups, 98% of participants achieved at least 5% weight loss, 90% at least 10%, 65% at least 15%, and 32% at least 20%, compared with placebo figures of 13%, 0%, 0%, and 0%, respectively.

Viking said it plans to explore oral maintenance-dosing regimens in Part 2 of VK2735-102. The company characterized monthly and every-other-week options as potential adherence choices following weekly induction. VK2735 remains an investigational therapy.