Viking Therapeutics Stock Is Down 66% From Its Peak. Here's What Comes Next.

Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ: VKTX) stock is down almost 66% from its early 2024 peak and down about 8.4% so far in 2026. While there's little the company can do regarding the drug development programs of larger peers like Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, Viking has a mix of near- and long-term catalysts in its pipeline that could meaningfully rerate the stock.

Viking Therapeutics and VK2735

The company's lead drug candidate is VK2735, a dual GLP-1 and GIP agonist in development in subcutaneous and oral forms to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes. VK2735 has two potential advantages over rival drugs, including Eli Lilly's Zepbound/Mounjaro (tirzepatide), Foundayo (orforglipron), and Novo Nordisk's Ozempic/Wegovy (semaglutide).

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The first is that VK2735 is being developed as a dual-formulation therapy, allowing patients to take it as a subcutaneous (injectable) formulation, followed by a more convenient oral maintenance dose. The second is that clinical trial evidence suggests it can achieve a steeper rate of weight loss than tirzepatide or semaglutide. As such, it offers the prospect of swifter weight loss and the convenience of a rapid shift to an oral dose.

However, as ever with clinical trial data, it needs to be qualified and put into context. If you've read the linked article, you'll note that I'm comparing phase 2 data for VK2735 with phase 3 data from Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk offerings. These are not head-to-head trials, and it's the phase 3 data from the VK2735 trials that really matter. Still, the data is impressive and part of what investors are basing their hopes on.

Viking Therapeutics' pipeline

All of which leads me to the key catalysts for the stock, starting with the long-term catalysts:

• The 78-week phase 3 trials of VK2735 (subcutaneous) are ongoing, with results unlikely until the third quarter of 2027.
• The phase 3 trials of VK2735 (oral), which are set to commence in the fourth quarter of 2026, aren't likely to yield results until 2028 or even 2029.

Clearly, the key results from these trials are still some time away, and the stock is likely to remain volatile until they are released. Still, there are some near-term catalysts for the stock that investors need to be aware of.

• Management needs to announce the initiation of the oral phase 3 program in the fourth quarter.
• Viking has a 180-subject phase 1 maintenance dosing trial that is due to report results imminently.

Image source: Getty Images.

The maintenance trial (a 19-week subcutaneous dose or placebo, followed by 12 weeks across a range of doses, including oral dosing) will provide data that could help support a dual-formulation strategy. For example, the phase 2 trial results for VK2735 (oral) included some disappointing safety and tolerability data, which caused the stock to crash in the summer of 2025. Some positive news on tolerability in the transition from subcutaneous to oral applications would improve sentiment toward the stock and VK2735.

What's next for Viking Therapeutics?

What really matters is the phase 3 trial results relative to rivals', and they won't come for a while. As such, any disappointing news from the maintenance trial needs to be put into context, as does any positive news. The debate over Viking Therapeutics won't end with the phase 1 results, but they are likely to impact the stock price in the near term.

Lee Samaha has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. The Motley Fool recommends Viking Therapeutics. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.