Buyers seem disenchanted with Viking Therapeutics Inc.’s VKTX knowledge from its Part 2 trial of an weight problems capsule.
Members receiving once-daily doses of oral VK2735 demonstrated a imply physique weight discount of as much as 12.2% after 13 weeks from baseline.
Members receiving VK2735 confirmed as much as a ten.9% discount in physique weight in comparison with the placebo. No plateau noticed for weight reduction at 13 weeks.
All doses of VK2735 better than 15 mg additionally demonstrated statistically important variations relative to the placebo on the important thing secondary endpoint, assessing the proportion of topics who demonstrated not less than 5% and 10% weight reduction.
Per the Part 1 knowledge launched in March 2024, cohorts receiving VK2735 demonstrated dose-dependent reductions in imply physique weight from baseline, ranging as much as 5.3%.
Cohorts receiving VK2735 additionally demonstrated reductions in imply physique weight relative to placebo, ranging as much as 3.3%.
In response to a Tuesday observe from William Blair, buyers are involved concerning the tolerability profile and the upper charges of discontinuation. Each “appeared worse than the Part I research,” which drove the sell-off, an analyst defined, including that the downward inventory response is “excessive and unwarranted.”
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William Blair’s Andy Hsieh famous that whereas total tolerability was weaker than in Part I, the 30 mg dose — a possible upkeep possibility — confirmed a placebo-like security profile. In distinction, the 60 mg group reported increased hostile occasions and discontinuations.
Given cost-of-goods constraints, Viking is unlikely to maneuver ahead with 90 mg or 120 mg doses, making the talk over their tolerability much less related. Hsieh added that tolerability might enhance in pivotal research if the titration interval is prolonged to 4 weeks, somewhat than the 2 weeks utilized in VENTURE-Oral.
William Blair says, “Viking’s weight problems franchise provides a novel set of enticing qualities that will probably be seen favorably by the lens of massive pharma from an M&A perspective.”
Beforehand, William Blair named Viking as the highest choose for 2025, and it reiterates an Outperform score on Viking shares.
In a social media put up, a biotech investor in contrast Viking’s VK2735 with Eli Lilly and Co’s LLY subcutaneous tirzepatide, generally generally known as Mounjaro and Zepbound.
The borderline possible dose ranges of VKTX oral are inferior to Tzp SubQ on WL at 13 weeks (each absolute and placebo adjusted), the investor mentioned. “And have in mind, even 30/60mg QD continues to be 14x and 28x extra API for $VKTX than $LLY TZP makes use of. That’s nonetheless a TON of API, and an enormous headwind for the corporate.”
The investor is
He wrote that the routine appears to be like weaker than SubQ TZP, and tolerability points aren’t serving to $VKTX.
Value Motion: VKTX inventory is down 41.04% at $24.82 on the final test on Tuesday
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