Viking Therapeutics: A Weighty Proposition

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The market for potions…er, anti-obesity drugs, is becoming rather crowded. It’s a bit like the annual Gnome Convention – everyone’s jostling for space, and the quality of the beard-braiding varies wildly. Several companies are brewing up their own GLP-1 concoctions, hoping to corner a market that promises revenues in the multiple digits – a sum that would make even the most seasoned dragon blush. The race, naturally, is to get something, anything, approved before the next full moon.

One company currently caught in the delightful chaos is Viking Therapeutics (VKTX +2.23%). They haven’t quite managed to turn lead into gold, or, in this case, a consistently effective drug, but they’re heading in the right direction. And if they do succeed, well, let’s just say the shareholders might require larger carriages.

But even before VK2735, their primary candidate, clears the regulatory hurdles (a process involving more paperwork than a goblin’s tax return), there’s a potential catalyst looming. They’re about to release data from a clinical trial, and in the world of pharmaceutical speculation, that’s a bit like finding a slightly less mouldy biscuit in a very old tin. It could be nothing, it could be everything.

VK2735: The Maintenance Dosage Question1

Viking claims that, based on “exciting early data” (a phrase that should always be approached with a healthy dose of skepticism – it’s usually code for ‘we think it might work’), they’ve initiated a study to explore VK2735 as a maintenance dose. They’re testing it as a monthly injection – convenient for those who dislike daily rituals – and also as weekly and daily oral medications. It’s a bit like offering a customer three different levels of inconvenience.

They anticipate announcing the results in the third quarter. If they’re promising, it could give the stock a significant boost. It might allow VK2735 to nibble away at the market share held by the larger GLP-1 players, particularly if they can offer a competitive price point. Rather than starting on VK2735, patients who’ve already shed a considerable amount of weight might seek it out for maintenance – a sort of magical topping-up of their newfound lightness.

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Is Viking Therapeutics Stock a Good Buy in 2026?

It’s been a rather underwhelming start to 2026 for Viking Therapeutics. The stock is down 6%, and it’s fallen 24% from its 52-week high of $43.15. Currently, the company generates revenue at roughly the same rate as a particularly lazy troll. The hopes pinned on the stock largely revolve around VK2735 and whether it will ever receive the official stamp of approval. Last year, the company incurred a net loss totaling $359.6 million – a sum that could comfortably fund a small kingdom…for a week.

However, the early indications for VK2735 are promising, especially after the company recently completed a meeting with regulators and progressed to phase 3 trials for the oral version. They also referred to the data as “exciting” regarding its potential use for maintenance dosing. While VK2735 isn’t approved yet – and there’s absolutely no guarantee it ever will be – if you’re willing to take on some risk, I believe Viking’s stock could be worth considering. It may be due for a significant rally, or it may simply remain a fascinating footnote in the annals of pharmaceutical speculation. Such is the nature of markets, and indeed, of life itself.

1 The term ‘maintenance’ is, of course, a polite euphemism for ‘preventing the weight from returning with the vengeful fury of a disgruntled wizard’.

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2026-03-23 22:04