Viking Weight Loss Drug Shocks Industry with 6.8% Weight Reduction in 28 Days

At Viking's ObesityWeek conference on Sunday, data from a study got a lot of attention. The early study, which included 92 participants, showed that those who took a 100 mg dose of Viking tablets lost an average of 6.8 percent of their body weight in just 28 days. This result not only exceeded expectations, but also exceeded the results of competing experimental treatments. In contrast, those taking a placebo lost an average of 1.4 percent of their body weight.

Bloomberg analyst Michael Shah further noted in a note that the pill was well tolerated, with few side effects and only mild nausea, and patients did not need to stop taking it. These positive study results indicate that Viking is on track to enter mid-stage trials in the fourth quarter.

Meanwhile, Astrazeneca also presented its findings at the ObesityWeek conference on Monday, November 4. In an earlier study of 72 people, it was found that patients lost an average of 5.8 percent of their body weight after taking the pill orally and following four weeks of treatment. The oral pill, called AZD5004, mimics a gut hormone called GLP-1 to effectively control blood sugar and suppress appetite. The trial showed no serious side effects in patients with doses up to 50 mg.

Viking shares have risen more than 290% so far this year, largely due to high investor hopes for an oral weight loss drug the company is developing. In addition, Viking's new tablets are considered to have significant market potential, which could attract acquisition interest from large pharmaceutical companies. William Blair analyst Andy Hsieh said: "Viking's diet drugs are working better than everyone expected, which increases the likelihood of a big Pharma acquisition of Viking. While we acknowledge that it is risky to base investment decisions on the prospect of future acquisitions, the likelihood is considerable."

Analysts point out that the launch of Viking and Astrazeneca's oral pills has intensified competition in the diet drug market between large pharmaceutical companies and small biotech companies. As drug companies scramble to come up with weight-loss pills that appeal to more people, they are all vying for a piece of a huge market that is expected to reach $130 billion by the end of the century.