Viking Therapeutics, Inc. announced on September 22, 2026, the top-line results from its maintenance study of VK2735, a dual agonist of the glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptors. The study evaluated the ability of VK2735 to maintain weight loss following a 21-week induction phase using weekly dosing.
During the induction phase, participants received escalating doses of VK2735 or placebo. At the end of 21 weeks, mean weight loss ranged from approximately 16% to 19% compared with approximately 0% for placebo. The company noted that weight loss was progressive in all VK2735 cohorts with no evidence of a plateau through 21 weeks.
In the maintenance phase, participants transitioned to less frequent dosing regimens for an additional 12 weeks. Results indicated that VK2735 successfully maintained a significant portion of the weight loss achieved during induction. Participants randomized to every-other-week dosing maintained up to 97% of their mean weight loss, compared with 61% for those on placebo. Similarly, participants randomized to monthly dosing maintained up to 90% of their weight loss, compared with 61% for placebo.
Viking Therapeutics reported that the safety and tolerability profile of VK2735 remained encouraging during the maintenance period. The company stated that rates of gastrointestinal-related adverse events, such as vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and constipation, were not meaningfully different from placebo. The company plans to explore oral maintenance dosing regimens in an upcoming part 2 to the current study.
