Viking Therapeutics’ new drug shows promise

Viking Therapeutics has carried out a phase 2 study indicating that its weight loss drug may lead to faster weight reduction compared to Wegovy and Zepbound, according to Søren Løntoft Hansen, Senior Analyst at Sydbank. Though it’s early data, patients lost up to 13.1% of body weight in 13 weeks. While promising, the drug is still years from being market-ready, potentially around 2027-2028. Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound already have approved weight loss drugs, and the competition between them currently focuses on production capacity rather than efficacy, as both companies can sell all their stock. Hansen believes there is room in the market for new players like Viking Therapeutics.