Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ: VKTX) has captured the attention of investors, with its stock price skyrocketing over 400% in one year. This remarkable performance stems from the company's promising clinical trial results for VK2735, an investigational weight loss drug that has demonstrated promising efficacy in oral and injectable forms.

The company is expected to report its second-quarter earnings in the coming weeks.

While Viking Therapeutics' stock price has recently pulled back from its 52-week high, investors are still optimistic about its potential.

Analysts believe that Viking's oral weight loss drug could claim about 10% of the market upon its release in 2030, and VK2735 could be approved as an over-the-counter (OTC) drug, providing a significant competitive advantage for Viking.

The Powerhouse Behind the Surge: Viking's Drug Pipeline

The company is focused on developing novel therapies for metabolic and endocrine disorders, including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), hip fracture recovery, and type 2 diabetes. The company aims to bring life-changing treatments to patients with unmet medical needs.

Viking's lead product candidate, VK2735, is an investigational drug that targets obesity by acting as a dual agonist of the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptors. The company is evaluating VK2735 as a potential treatment for type 2 diabetes and plans to explore monthly dosing options in addition to its existing weekly dosing program.

The oral formulation of VK2735 is especially noteworthy, as it could become the first oral GLP-1 drug to hit the market. GLP-1 current medicines are available only in injectable forms. With the growing popularity of injectable GLP-1 drugs for weight loss, Viking's oral drug could tap into a large market segment, which could be a significant growth opportunity for the company.

Clinical Trial Successes

Viking Therapeutics has reported positive results from its Phase 2 VENTURE trial for obesity ...

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