Viking Therapeutics Reports Success in VK2735 Weight Maintenance Trial

The clinical trial involved 180 adults with obesity who first underwent a 21-week induction phase with weekly subcutaneous injections. During this period, participants achieved weight reductions ranging from 16% to 19%. Following the induction, subjects were randomized into various maintenance schedules to test the drug's efficacy in preventing weight regain. Those transitioned to every-other-week dosing retained 97% of their progress, while those on a monthly regimen maintained up to 90% of their weight loss.

Beyond weight control, the maintenance phase showed a strong safety profile. Gastrointestinal side effects, such as nausea and vomiting, remained comparable to those observed in the placebo group, suggesting that the drug is well-tolerated even under flexible administration schedules. Brian Lian, CEO of Viking, noted that these findings provide clinicians with new strategies to help patients transition from initial weight loss to long-term management. The company now intends to evaluate oral maintenance dosing in the next stage of the study to further diversify treatment options.