TLDR
- Viking Therapeutics stock surged over 39% in pre-market trading after releasing top-line results from its VK2735 maintenance study
- VK2735 achieved 22% placebo-adjusted weight loss over 33 weeks at the 17.5mg weekly dose
- In the maintenance phase, every-other-week dosing preserved up to 97% of prior weight loss, and monthly dosing up to 90%, vs. 61% for placebo
- The drug showed a favorable safety profile, with GI-related adverse events comparable to placebo
- Viking held $502 million in cash at end of Q2, with Oppenheimer maintaining a $100 price target ahead of the data
Viking Therapeutics stock jumped over 39% in pre-market trading on Tuesday, with the stock hitting $42 and approaching its 52-week high of $43.15. The move came after the company released top-line results from the maintenance study of VK2735, its injectable GLP-1/GIP receptor dual agonist.
Viking Therapeutics, Inc., VKTX
The results came from the VK2735-102 study, which had two phases. The induction phase ran for 21 weeks. Patients on once-weekly VK2735 lost approximately 16% to 19% of their weight, compared to roughly 0% for the placebo group.
Then came the data that really moved the stock. In the 12-week maintenance phase, patients who switched to every-other-week dosing kept up to 97% of their weight loss. Those who moved to monthly dosing kept up to 90%. The placebo group retained just 61%.
Patients receiving the 17.5mg weekly dose saw 22% placebo-adjusted weight loss across the full 33 weeks of the study.
Safety Profile Draws Attention
Tolerability was another bright spot in the results. GI-related adverse events during the maintenance period were comparable to placebo rates.
One patient dropped out during the induction phase due to an adverse event. One patient in the every-other-week group and one in the monthly dosing group also discontinued during the maintenance phase.
That level of tolerability matters in a category where GI side effects have been a consistent issue with competing drugs.
Oppenheimer had maintained an Outperform rating and a $100 price target going into the data release. The firm had argued that many investors assumed Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide would dominate the GLP-1/GIP space, and that VK2735 maintenance data could shift the competitive conversation toward dosing frequency and adherence.
What Comes Next
Viking plans to explore oral maintenance dosing regimens for VK2735 in a Part 2 section of the current trial, moving beyond the subcutaneous formulation tested so far.
The company had already told investors to expect maintenance data in the third quarter of 2026. That guidance held.
Viking entered this readout with $502 million in cash at the end of Q2 2026, giving the company runway to fund its pipeline through further development.
The broader market had little to do with Tuesday’s move. The S&P 500 was up just 0.1%, the Nasdaq was flat at +0.05%, and the Dow added 0.3%. This was entirely company-specific.
The stock had previously hit a 52-week high of $43.15, and Tuesday’s pre-market price of $42 puts it close to that level again.
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