Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ: VKTX) Disclosed on the July 29, 2026 Q2 2026 Earnings Call That VK3019, a Novel Dual Amylin and Calcitonin Receptor Agonist Peptide for Obesity, Has Entered Phase 1 Clinical Development, Extending the Company's Obesity Pipeline Beyond the Flagship Dual GLP-1/GIP Agonist VK2735 (Fully Enrolled Phase 3 VANQUISH Program in Obesity and Obesity/Type 2 Diabetes With Oral VK2735 Phase 3 Trials Slated to Initiate Q4 2026 Positioning Viking as Potential First-to-Market Oral Dual GLP-1/GIP Agonist); Q2 2026 Net Loss Widened to $128.1 Million From $65.6 Million in Q2 2025 on Increased R&D Spending, With $502 Million in Cash and Short-Term Investments Down From $706 Million at Year-End 2025
Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ: VKTX) disclosed on the July 29, 2026 Q2 2026 earnings call that VK3019, a novel dual amylin and calcitonin receptor agonist peptide for obesity, has entered Phase 1 clinical development. The candidate extends the company's obesity pipeline beyond the flagship VK2735 (dual GLP-1/GIP agonist). VK2735 status: Phase 3 VANQUISH program in obesity and obesity/type 2 diabetes is fully enrolled and advancing on track; oral VK2735 Phase 3 trials are slated to initiate in Q4 2026, positioning Viking as a potential first-to-market oral dual GLP-1/GIP agonist. A novel maintenance dosing study for VK2735 is nearing completion, with results expected later in Q3 2026 exploring less frequent dosing regimens. Q2 2026 financials: net loss widened to $128.1 million from $65.6 million in Q2 2025 on increased R&D spending, with $502 million in cash and short-term investments down from $706 million at year-end 2025. VK3019 is mechanistically distinct from VK2735: amylin signaling adds brainstem-mediated satiety (via the calcitonin receptor complex with RAMPs) on top of a calcitonin receptor agonism that has a longer development history in postmenopausal osteoporosis (Miacalcin) and Paget's disease. The amylin plus calcitonin combination extends the amylin-analog obesity category anchored by Novo Nordisk's cagrilintide (a component of CagriSema) and the Novo amycretin oral amylin monotherapy program.