In This Article:
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Research and Development Expenses: $41.4 million for Q1 2025, up from $24.1 million in Q1 2024.
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General and Administrative Expenses: $14.1 million for Q1 2025, up from $10 million in Q1 2024.
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Net Loss: $45.6 million or $0.41 per share for Q1 2025, compared to $27.4 million or $0.26 per share in Q1 2024.
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Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Short-term Investments: $852 million as of March 31, 2025, down from $903 million as of December 31, 2024.
Release Date: April 23, 2025
For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.
Positive Points
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Viking Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:VKTX) announced positive data from four separate clinical programs, including VK2735 for obesity and VK2809 for NASH and fibrosis.
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The company made significant progress toward initiating Phase 3 trials for the subcutaneous VK2735 program, expected to commence later this quarter.
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Viking Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:VKTX) completed enrollment for the Phase 2 trial of the VK2735 oral tablet for obesity, indicating strong interest in the program.
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A long-term manufacturing agreement was secured to support the future commercialization of VK2735, suggesting readiness for large-scale production.
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The company maintains a strong financial position with over $850 million in cash, providing a solid runway for ongoing and future clinical trials.
Negative Points
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Research and development expenses increased significantly to $41.4 million, impacting the company's financials.
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The net loss for the first quarter of 2025 was $45.6 million, a substantial increase from the previous year.
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General and administrative expenses rose to $14.1 million, driven by legal, patent services, and stock-based compensation costs.
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There is uncertainty regarding the potential impact of tariffs on future operations, which could affect commercial activities.
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The company faces logistical challenges in preparing for the Phase 3 trials, including supply chain and site readiness.
Q & A Highlights
Q: Is the Phase 2 VENTURE-Oral readout going to include the four-week follow-up data or will the top line data only include data with 13 weeks of dosing? And when do you plan on introducing the auto-injector into the Phase 3? A: The top line data from the Oral study will likely be reported before the four-week follow-up data are available. The introduction of the auto-injector is expected early next year, with a bridging study comparing the vial and syringe to the auto-injector in the interim. - Brian Lian, CEO
Q: What specific level of weight loss are you looking to achieve in the Phase 2 VENTURE-Oral data? A: If we can show around 8% weight loss, similar to what was shown at the high dose last time after 12 weeks, it would be a competitive profile. However, it's hard to predict prior to unblinding the data. - Brian Lian, CEO