Viking Therapeutics (VKTX) reports positive data from the Phase 1 trial on its weight loss pill. Viking's stock has surged on the news.
Yahoo Finance Health Reporter Anjalee Khemlani breaks down the news.
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Editor's note: This article was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.
Video Transcript
AKIKO FUJITA: We're watching shares of Viking therapeutics surging on positive new results for its experimental weight loss pill. Joining us here to discuss, we've got Anjalee Khemlani. Every time we talk about weight loss, we've got [INAUDIBLE].
ANJALEE KHEMLANI: I know. [LAUGHING] Well, listen, Viking therapeutics is one of those companies that is really booming. We've known that it is sort of a favorite among the biotechs right now for this area for the GLP-1s and for its weight loss numbers.
Now, the results that came out today phase 1 for its pill, which is an area really hot right now that people are keeping an eye on. Because it could help with the slow uptake or any trepidation that others have with the injectables that we've seen on the market right now. So Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, those are the leaders.
And so Viking reported was in addition to checking for the safety which is a purpose of the phase I trial. They also saw a little bit of a weight loss there within the first 28 days. So that's the news that we've seen out of Viking.
This is an addition to really strong numbers that they saw from their phase 2 trial of the injectable after 13 weeks. And that was a couple of weeks ago. We got those that news.
And so this is really setting up the stage for that really hot race we've been talking about in the GLP-1 area where Viking could either go on its own with its strong results could become an acquisition target for some of these other players, especially big pharma. So, as of right now, this is what we've got going on. We'll have to see.
