Viking Therapeutics' obesity drug shows durable weight-loss benefit, shares jump

Sept 22 (Reuters) - Viking Therapeutics VKTX.O said patients shifted to a less frequent dosing regimen of its experimental obesity treatment showed superior weight loss maintenance in a study than those on placebo, sending its shares up 40% before the bell.

The company said on Tuesday that patients who switched to an every-other-week dosing of VK2735 maintained up to 97% of the weight they had lost during an initial 21-week treatment period, while those who moved to a monthly dosing retained up to 90% of their prior weight loss over the following 12 weeks.

Viking said it plans to study oral maintenance dosing in a future part of the trial.