Results to be Featured in Oral Late Breaker Presentation

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Viking Therapeutics, Inc. ("Viking") (NASDAQ: VKTX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapies for metabolic and endocrine disorders, today announced that results from the company's Phase 2b clinical trial of VK2809, the company's novel liver-selective thyroid hormone receptor beta agonist, in patients with biopsy-confirmed non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH; also referred to as metabolic dysfunction associated steatohepatitis, MASH) will be highlighted in an oral late breaker presentation at the 75th Liver Meeting 2024, the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD).  The Liver Meeting 2024 is being held November 15-19, 2024, in San Diego, California.

Details of the oral presentation are as follows:

Title: Results from the 52-Week Phase 2b VOYAGE Trial of VK2809 in Patients with Biopsy-Confirmed Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis and Fibrosis: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Presenting Author: Rohit Loomba, M.D., MHSc, Director, NAFLD Research Center and Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Diego

Session: Late Breaking Abstract Parallel Session 3

Date/Time: Tuesday, November 19, 2024, 11:00 – 11:10 a.m. Pacific Time

Location: San Diego Convention Center

About VK2809

VK2809 is an orally available, tissue and receptor-subtype selective agonist of the thyroid hormone beta receptor (TRβ) that possesses selectivity for liver tissue, as well as the beta receptor subtype, suggesting promising therapeutic potential in a range of lipid disorders. The Phase 2b VOYAGE study of VK2809 in patients with biopsy-confirmed non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH; also referred to as metabolic dysfunction associated steatohepatitis, MASH) and fibrosis successfully achieved both the trial's primary and secondary endpoints. VK2809 also successfully achieved primary and secondary endpoints in a Phase 2a study for the treatment of patients with elevated LDL-C and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Selective activation of the thyroid hormone beta receptor in liver tissue is believed to favorably affect cholesterol and lipoprotein levels via multiple mechanisms, including increasing the expression of genes associated with lipid metabolism and clearance.  

About Viking Therapeutics, Inc.

Viking Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel first-in-class or best-in-class therapies for the treatment of metabolic and endocrine disorders, with three compounds currently in clinical trials. Viking's research and development activities leverage its expertise in metabolism to develop innovative therapeutics designed to improve patients' lives. Viking's clinical programs include VK2735, a novel dual agonist of the glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptors for the potential treatment of various metabolic disorders. Data from a Phase 1 and a Phase 2 trial evaluating VK2735 (dosed subcutaneously) for metabolic disorders demonstrated an encouraging safety and tolerability profile as well as positive signs of clinical benefit. Concurrently, the company is evaluating an oral formulation of VK2735 in a Phase 1 trial. Viking is also developing VK2809, a novel, orally available, small molecule selective thyroid hormone receptor beta agonist for the treatment of lipid and metabolic disorders. The compound successfully achieved both the primary and secondary endpoints in a recently completed Phase 2b study for the treatment of biopsy-confirmed non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH; also referred to as metabolic dysfunction associated steatohepatitis, MASH) and fibrosis. In a Phase 2a trial for the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and elevated LDL-C, patients who received VK2809 demonstrated statistically significant reductions in LDL-C and liver fat content compared with patients who received placebo.  The company's newest program is evaluating a series of internally developed dual amylin and calcitonin receptor agonists (or DACRAs) for the treatment of obesity and other metabolic disorders.  In the rare disease space, Viking is developing VK0214, a novel, orally available, small molecule selective thyroid hormone receptor beta agonist for the potential treatment of X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD).  In a Phase 1b clinical trial in patients with the adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN) form of X-ALD, VK0214 was shown to be safe and well-tolerated, while driving significant reductions in plasma levels of very long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) and other lipids, as compared to placebo.

SOURCE Viking Therapeutics, Inc.