Viking Therapeutics Reports First Quarter 2025 Financial Results and Provides Corporate Update

Core Insights - Viking Therapeutics reported strong progress in its clinical pipeline, particularly with VK2735, a dual agonist for obesity treatment, with Phase 3 trials expected to begin in Q2 2025 [2][3][5] - The company has a robust financial position with over $850 million in cash, enabling continued development of its pipeline programs [2][16] Financial Performance - Research and development expenses increased to$41.4 million in Q1 2025 from $24.1 million in Q1 2024, primarily due to higher manufacturing costs and clinical studies [13] - General and administrative expenses rose to$14.1 million in Q1 2025 from $10.0 million in Q1 2024, driven by legal, patent services, and stock-based compensation [14] - The net loss for Q1 2025 was$45.6 million, or $0.41 per share, compared to a net loss of$27.4 million, or $0.26 per share, in the same period of 2024 [15][23] Clinical Pipeline Developments - VK2735 demonstrated significant weight loss in the Phase 2 VENTURE study, with reductions in mean body weight up to 14.7% after 13 weeks of treatment [3][4] - The VENTURE-Oral Dosing trial for VK2735 has completed enrollment with approximately 280 participants, and results are expected in the second half of 2025 [10][11] - The company is advancing its dual amylin and calcitonin receptor agonist (DACRA) program, with an IND application planned for the second half of 2025 [11][19] Manufacturing and Commercialization - Viking entered a broad manufacturing agreement with CordenPharma to secure large-scale production of VK2735, covering both injectable and oral formulations [2][12] - The agreement includes dedicated capacity for multiple metric tons of VK2735 API and fill/finish capabilities [12] Upcoming Events - Viking management will participate in several investor conferences in June 2025, including the William Blair Annual Growth Stock Conference and the Jefferies Global Healthcare Conference [12]