SAN DIEGO - Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: NASDAQ:VKTX), a biopharmaceutical company, today announced successful results from its Phase 2 clinical trial of VK2735, an investigational drug for obesity. The trial met its primary and all secondary endpoints, showing significant weight loss in patients compared to placebo after 13 weeks. The study also indicated that VK2735 was safe and well-tolerated, with the majority of gastrointestinal side effects being mild or moderate.
Patients treated with VK2735 experienced weight reductions of up to 14.7% from their baseline weight, with up to 13.1% of that loss attributable to the drug's effects rather than placebo.
The weight loss was progressive over the 13-week period without signs of plateauing. Additionally, up to 88% of patients taking VK2735 achieved at least 10% weight loss, in stark contrast to the 4% in the placebo group.
Safety assessments revealed low discontinuation rates due to adverse events, which were comparable between the VK2735 and placebo groups. The most common side effects included nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, which tended to decrease over time. One serious adverse event related to the drug was reported, involving dehydration.
VK2735 is a dual agonist targeting both the glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptors. These receptors are involved in metabolic processes that affect weight, glucose levels, and insulin sensitivity.
The Phase 2 VENTURE trial was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study that enrolled 176 obese or overweight adults with weight-related comorbid conditions. The primary goal was to evaluate the drug's safety and efficacy in weight loss over a 13-week period.
This report is based on a press release statement from Viking Therapeutics.
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