Hiroshi Watanabe/DigitalVision via Getty Images Weight loss drug developer Viking Therapeutics ( NASDAQ: VKTX ) traded higher premarket Tuesday after announcing 52-week data from a mid-stage trial for VK2809 targeted at the liver disorder non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The Phase 2b trial VOYAGE has already reached the primary endpoint, with a statistically significant reduction in liver fat over 12 weeks compared to the placebo. The latest data based on its histological findings indicate that 51% of those on VK2809 witnessed improvement in fibrosis with no worsening of NASH, compared to 34% in the placebo group, one of the trial’s secondary endpoints.
As for the secondary endpoint of NASH resolution with no worsening of fibrosis, 69% on VK2809 achieved NASH resolution compared to 29% on the placebo. Meanwhile, 44% of those who received the experimental drug achieved the secondary goal of both resolution of NASH and improvement in fibrosis, compared to 20% of those who received the placebo. As for safety, ~6% of those on VK2809 discontinued the study due to treatment-related adverse events, versus ~9% on placebo.
However, Viking ( VKTX ) said 94% of treatment-related adverse events in the on-drug arm were found to be mild or moderate. More on Viking Therapeutics What Makes Viking Therapeutics An Attractive Takeover Target Or Big Pharma Partner Viking Therapeutics: The Metabolic Masterpiece Primed To Be Acquired Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (VKTX) Q1 2024 Earnings Call Tr.
