Oral VK2735 shows 12.2% weight loss at 13 weeks at ECO 2026

Viking Therapeutics presented new data on May 12, 2026, at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul showing that its oral tablet VK2735 led to weight loss of up to 12.2% of body weight, or about 26.6 pounds, after 13 weeks in a mid-stage study ^[1]. VK2735 works on two gut hormone receptors, GLP-1 and GIP, the same dual-target approach used by tirzepatide, sold as Mounjaro and Zepbound ^[1]. Unlike those drugs, VK2735 is being developed as a once-daily pill, not an injection ^[1].

The Phase 2 trial, called VENTURE-Oral, enrolled 280 adults with obesity or who were overweight with at least one weight-related health condition ^[1]. Participants were randomly assigned to placebo or one of six doses of VK2735, ranging from 15 mg to 120 mg, taken once daily ^[1]. At the highest dose, average weight loss was 12.1 kg (about 12.2% of body weight), compared with a 1.3% loss on placebo ^[1]. Weight loss increased with higher doses and had not leveled off by week 13, suggesting more loss might occur with longer treatment ^[1].

At the top dose, 80% of participants lost at least 10% of their body weight, compared with 5% on placebo ^[1]. Across all doses, up to 97% of people on the drug lost at least 5% of body weight, and up to 80% lost at least 10%, versus 10% and 5% on placebo ^[1]. Side effects were mostly mild to moderate and were mainly gastrointestinal, a pattern common with this class of drugs; these effects tended to show up early and lessen over time ^[1]. Nearly all drug-related side effects, 98%, were rated mild or moderate ^[1]. The average participant had a BMI of 37, was 51 years old, and 54% had pre-diabetes, which the company says reflects patients seen in real clinical practice ^[1].

Viking also presented details on its ongoing Phase 3 program, called VANQUISH, which is testing an injectable version of VK2735 in adults with obesity ^[1]. Chief executive Brian Lian said the company plans to start Phase 3 trials of the oral tablet later in 2026 and hopes it becomes "the first oral dual agonist of the GLP-1 and GIP receptors to reach the market" ^[1]. He said an oral option could let patients switch from injections to a pill using the same drug ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

No oral dual GLP-1/GIP drug is approved yet. VK2735 is still years away from potential FDA approval, since it has only completed a mid-stage, 13-week trial and has not yet entered Phase 3 testing in tablet form ^[1]. The results announced this week come from a company press release and conference poster, not a peer-reviewed publication, and cover only 13 weeks of treatment, so it is not known how weight loss would look over a year or longer, or how the drug compares directly to approved options like semaglutide or tirzepatide ^[1].

For patients weighing current options, semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) remain the only GLP-1 or dual GLP-1/GIP therapies with FDA approval ^[1]. An eventual oral pill with dual-hormone activity could offer another route of administration for people who prefer not to inject, but that possibility is still investigational, and safety and effectiveness over longer periods are not yet established ^[1].

What happens next

Viking said it expects to begin Phase 3 trials of the oral VK2735 tablet later in 2026 ^[1]. The company's Phase 3 program for the injectable version, VANQUISH-1 and VANQUISH-2, is already underway, and a separate poster at the same conference described the design and makeup of participants enrolled in VANQUISH-1 ^[1]. No date for FDA review or possible approval of either the oral or injectable formulation was given in the material presented ^[1].