Viking Therapeutics heats up competition in obesity with impressive Phase 2 data

Arctic Aurora portfolio company Viking Therapeutics opened nearly 100% up on positive weight loss data from a Phase 2 study

Obesity is one of the largest societal and healthcare burdens globally. It is estimated to affect more than 650 million people, who are at a higher risk of developing more than 200 health complications including diabetes, cardiovascular problems, and fatty liver disease. In the recent years, multiple drugs have been developed to address this global challenge.

Arctic Aurora LifeScience and Arctic Aurora Biotech Select portfolio company Viking Therapeutics is a strong contender in the obesity space. Today, they announced competitive Phase 2 results of their drug candidate, VK2735. Obese patients in the trial achieved a placebo-adjusted weight loss of up to 13.1% after just 13 weeks. Importantly, weight loss did not plateau at 13 weeks and the treatment was effective in most patients with 88% of them achieving a ≥10% weight loss at the end of the trial. The side effects of the drug were comparable to other similar treatments.

VK2735 is a dual activator of the glucagon-like-peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP) receptors. Effect on these receptors is associated with reduced body weight and appetite, and higher sensitivity to insulin. Among the drugs that are already approved, semaglutide (brand name Ozempic/Wegovy, marketed by Novo Nordisk) acts on GLP-1 while tirzepatide (Mounjaro/Zepbound by Eli Lilly) is a dual activator of the GLP-1/GIP receptors similarly to VK2735. According to consensus, the size of the obesity market will reach USD 100-150 billion and the peak sales of semaglutide and tirzepatide are expected to be USD 40 billion and USD 45 billion, respectively.