Viking Therapeutics' VK2735 Sees Strong Demand Amid Novo Nordisk Launch
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 hour ago
0mins
Should l Buy VKTX?
Source: stocktwits
- Strong Market Demand: Since its U.S. launch in early January, Novo Nordisk's oral Wegovy has seen weekly prescription fills reach 50,000, indicating robust demand for oral GLP-1 therapies, which bodes well for Viking Therapeutics' VK2735 as it positions itself to capture significant market opportunities.
- Clinical Trial Progress: Viking plans to initiate Phase 3 trials for VK2735 in Q3 2026, with encouraging mid-stage data showing patients lost up to 12.2% of their body weight in just 13 weeks, providing strong support for the drug's market potential.
- Solid Financial Position: Viking reported a Q4 2025 loss of $1.38 per share due to increased R&D spending, with full-year expenses rising to $345 million; however, the company ended the year with $706 million in cash and short-term investments, sufficient to fund ongoing trials and data readouts.
- Optimistic Investor Sentiment: On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for VKTX is bullish with extremely high message volume, as investors are optimistic that the upcoming maintenance dosing trial will provide a good opportunity to re-rate the stock price upward, reflecting confidence in the company's future performance.
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Analyst Views on VKTX
Wall Street analysts forecast VKTX stock price to rise
12 Analyst Rating
12 Buy
0 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 28.550
Low
70.00
Averages
97.00
High
125.00
Current: 28.550
Low
70.00
Averages
97.00
High
125.00
About VKTX
Viking Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that is focused on the development of therapies for the treatment of metabolic and endocrine disorders. Its clinical programs include VK2735, a novel dual agonist of the glucagon-like peptide 1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptors for the potential treatment of various metabolic disorders. It is evaluating an oral formulation of VK2735 in a Phase II trial. It is also developing VK2809, a novel, orally available, small molecule selective thyroid hormone receptor beta agonist for the treatment of lipid and metabolic disorders. Its newest program is evaluating a series of internally developed dual amylin and calcitonin receptor agonists for the treatment of obesity and other metabolic disorders. In the rare disease space, it is developing VK0214, a novel, orally available, small molecule selective thyroid hormone receptor beta agonist for the potential treatment of X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Surge in R&D Expenses: Viking's R&D expenses for Q4 2025 reached $153.5 million, a significant increase from $31 million in Q4 2024, primarily driven by rising clinical study costs and salaries, indicating the company's ongoing commitment to drug development despite the resulting substantial net loss.
- Widening Net Loss: The company reported a net loss of $157.7 million for Q4 2025, or $1.38 per share, compared to a net loss of $35.4 million and $0.32 per share in the same quarter of 2024, reflecting high R&D expenditures that may impact short-term financial stability.
- Decline in Cash Reserves: As of December 31, 2025, Viking held $706 million in cash and short-term investments, down from $903 million in 2024, indicating liquidity pressures as the company ramps up R&D spending, necessitating careful future financing strategies.
- Clinical Trial Advancements: The company has completed enrollment for the VK2735 VANQUISH-1 clinical trial and expects to finish enrollment for VANQUISH-2 in Q3 2026, demonstrating significant progress in obesity treatment development, which could lead to product commercialization in the near future.
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Viking Therapeutics Stock Surge: Viking Therapeutics shares have increased by 18.2% as the company plans to advance its oral obesity drug into late-stage testing.
Focus on Obesity Treatment: The advancement of the drug indicates a strategic move by Viking Therapeutics to target the growing market for obesity treatments.
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- Clinical Trial Progress: Viking expects to advance its experimental obesity drug VK2735's oral version into late-stage studies in Q3 2026, while the subcutaneous formulation is currently undergoing late-stage trials, showcasing the company's ongoing innovation in obesity treatment.
- Significant Weight Loss: In a mid-stage trial, patients on VK2735 achieved up to 14.7% mean weight loss over 13 weeks, indicating the drug's potential in weight management, which may attract more patients seeking effective weight loss solutions.
- Financial Performance: Viking reported a Q4 loss per share of $1.38, wider than the $0.91 loss expected by Wall Street analysts, primarily due to increased R&D expenses, although the company ended the quarter with $706 million in cash and short-term investments, demonstrating some financial resilience.
- Positive Market Reaction: On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around VKTX stock remained in the 'bullish' territory, with users expressing optimism about Viking's prospects, reflecting market confidence in its obesity drug development.
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- Strong Market Demand: Since its U.S. launch in early January, Novo Nordisk's oral Wegovy has seen weekly prescription fills reach 50,000, indicating robust demand for oral GLP-1 therapies, which bodes well for Viking Therapeutics' VK2735 as it positions itself to capture significant market opportunities.
- Clinical Trial Progress: Viking plans to initiate Phase 3 trials for VK2735 in Q3 2026, with encouraging mid-stage data showing patients lost up to 12.2% of their body weight in just 13 weeks, providing strong support for the drug's market potential.
- Solid Financial Position: Viking reported a Q4 2025 loss of $1.38 per share due to increased R&D spending, with full-year expenses rising to $345 million; however, the company ended the year with $706 million in cash and short-term investments, sufficient to fund ongoing trials and data readouts.
- Optimistic Investor Sentiment: On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for VKTX is bullish with extremely high message volume, as investors are optimistic that the upcoming maintenance dosing trial will provide a good opportunity to re-rate the stock price upward, reflecting confidence in the company's future performance.
See More
- Tech Sector Retreat: U.S. stocks experienced a significant decline on Thursday, with the S&P 500 down 1.57%, the Dow Jones down 1.34%, and the Nasdaq 100 down 2.04%, primarily driven by a sell-off in the Magnificent Seven tech stocks, indicating concerns over the profitability outlook in the tech sector.
- Cisco Systems Warning: Cisco Systems saw its stock plummet over 12% after forecasting that rising memory chip prices would erode profitability, raising investor concerns about future performance and potentially diminishing market confidence.
- Weak Economic Data: Initial jobless claims in the U.S. fell by 5,000 to 227,000, below the expected 223,000, while January existing home sales dropped 8.4% month-over-month to 3.91 million, marking a 16-month low, which reflects signs of economic slowdown that could impact market sentiment.
- Positive Earnings Season: Despite the overall market downturn, over 76% of S&P 500 companies that reported earnings exceeded expectations, with Q4 earnings projected to grow by 8.4%, indicating strong corporate profitability that may provide support for the market.
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- Tech Stock Pressure: The S&P 500 index fell by 0.52% and the Nasdaq 100 index dropped by 1.08% due to weakness in the Magnificent Seven tech stocks, indicating investor concerns that could dampen market confidence.
- Cisco Profit Warning: Cisco Systems forecasted that rising memory chip prices would erode profitability, leading to a more than 10% drop in its stock price, which may prompt investors to revise down their future performance expectations, negatively impacting overall market sentiment.
- Employment Data Impact: Initial US jobless claims fell by 5,000 to 227,000, reflecting a slightly weaker labor market, which could influence the Federal Reserve's monetary policy decisions and lower market expectations for future rate cuts.
- Chip Demand Recovery: Sandisk's stock rose over 7% following Kioxia's forecast of strong demand for NAND memory chips, indicating growth potential in the AI infrastructure sector, which may create new investment opportunities for related companies.
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