Viking Therapeutics Gains 5% As Company Highlights Positive Data From A Phase 1b Clinical Trial

Shares of Viking Therapeutics Inc VKTX, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the treatment of metabolic and endocrine disorders, gained more than 5 percent on Monday.

Viking Therapeutics highlighted positive data from a phase 1b clinical trial of VK2809 in subjects with mild hypercholesterolemia during a presentation at the 65th Annual Scientific Session & Expo of the American College of Cardiology (ACC).

Viking Therapeutics said that the results from its study demonstrated "demonstrated substantial and clinically meaningful reductions in subjects' low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides, and atherogenic proteins lipoprotein-a and apolipoprotein B following 14 days of treatment."

VK2809 was well tolerated at all doses and shown to be safe with no serious adverse events being reported.

"We believe these results provide compelling preliminary evidence of VK2809's efficacy in this important indication. The observed statistically significant effects in a trial of this size and duration are quite promising and demonstrate the potential therapeutic benefits of thyroid receptor modulation for lipid dysregulation," said Brian Lian, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Viking. "These data, combined with VK2809's novel liver-targeted delivery and mechanism of action, as well as prior in vivo data demonstrating robust reductions in hepatic fat content, provide a strong rationale for applications in settings such as hypercholesterolemia and fatty liver disease. We believe that receipt of a Best Poster award from a conference of this stature reinforces the potential importance of the results. We are focused on further establishing the safety and efficacy profile of VK2809 and continue to prepare for our upcoming Phase 2 clinical trial, which we expect to initiate mid-year."