Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: VKTX) rose Tuesday after announcing top-line results from Phase 2 study of VK2809. The study achieved primary endpoint.
The San Diego-based Viking, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapies for metabolic and endocrine disorders, today announced positive top-line results from a 12-week Phase 2 study of VK2809, its novel liver-selective thyroid receptor beta agonist, in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C).
The study successfully achieved its primary endpoint, with patients receiving VK2809 demonstrating statistically significant reductions in LDL-C compared with placebo.
No serious adverse events were reported among patients receiving VK2809 or placebo. Mean alanine aminotransferase levels among patients receiving VK2809 were reduced from baseline relative to those of patients receiving placebo.
Among patients with elevated baseline ALT levels, those receiving VK2809 also demonstrated reduction relative to placebo. There were no clinically or numerically meaningful differences in direct bilirubin, indirect bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, or international normalized ration (INR) between patients treated with VK2809 or placebo.
An abstract describing the results has been submitted for consideration for presentation at November’s Liver Meeting 2018, the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases in San Francisco.
VK2809 is an orally available, tissue and receptor-subtype selective agonist of the thyroid 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.
Shares rocketed $11.52, or 110.9%, to $21.91 in early Tuesday trade.
