Viking Therapeutics Stock Rises on Promising Weight Loss Drug Trial Results, Though Side Effects Remain a Concern
• Shares of Viking Therapeutics rose after positive phase 2 trial data showed its weight loss drug had greater efficacy than drugs from Lilly and Novo Nordisk
• Viking initiated a $350 million public stock offering to raise funds based on positive trial data
• Viking's drug showed up to 15% body weight loss in trials, but lost 20% of participants due to side effects like nausea
• Viking's drug could disrupt the GLP-1 market and make Viking an acquisition target
• While facing new competition, Lilly is still seen as a dominant player that could become a trillion-dollar healthcare company