VK2735 Reference

Plain English

What it is

VK2735 is an experimental weight-loss drug made by the company Viking Therapeutics. It copies two natural gut hormones (called GLP-1 and GIP) that help control hunger and blood sugar. It is being tested as both a weekly shot and a pill.

What people use it for

It is being studied as a treatment for obesity, which means carrying too much body fat. It is one of the experimental weight-loss drugs that the peptide and GLP-1 community follows most closely, but it is not something people can get through normal medical care.

What the science shows

In a mid-stage human trial in people with obesity, the weekly shot produced substantial weight loss compared with a dummy (placebo) treatment, and those results have now been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. The largest, final-stage trials are running now but have not reported their results yet, so the strongest evidence is still missing.

The catch

VK2735 is experimental and is not approved by the FDA, so it cannot be prescribed or legally bought, and it is not a compounded medicine. Because the biggest trials have not finished, its long-term safety and full benefit are still unknown. Any vials sold online under the VK2735 name are not the company's tested product and do not carry its safety or quality record.

Reference summary

The VENTURE Phase 2 13-week subcutaneous weekly obesity trial (Viking sponsor disclosure, 2024) reported substantial placebo-adjusted weight loss across the dose-ascending arms. The VENTURE Phase 2 subcutaneous results were subsequently published in the peer-reviewed journal Obesity (Viking sponsor announcement, January 12, 2026). The Phase 3 VANQUISH program for subcutaneous VK2735 began in June 2025; VANQUISH-1 and VANQUISH-2 completed enrollment by the first quarter of 2026, and a Phase 3 trial of oral VK2735 is planned for the second half of 2026.

Regulatory and posture

Categories

GLP-1, Fat Loss, Metabolic

Aliases

Viking Therapeutics VK2735, Dual GLP-1 / GIP receptor agonist, Weekly subcutaneous and oral formulations

Evidence posture

human - Investigational. Early trial readouts were sponsor-disclosed and the peer-reviewed publication trail is still developing. The Phase 3 VANQUISH program is underway but has not read out. Do not present as available, approved, or compoundable.

Regulatory status

Investigational. VK2735 is Viking Therapeutics' dual GLP-1 / GIP receptor agonist. There is no FDA-approved drug label. Phase 2 results were reported through Viking's sponsor disclosure in 2024 from the subcutaneous weekly VENTURE Phase 2 obesity trial; the Phase 3 VANQUISH program for subcutaneous VK2735 began in 2025, and an oral VK2735 formulation has advanced through Phase 2. VK2735 is not on FDA's approved bulk-substances list for traditional 503A compounding; any gray-market preparation sold under the VK2735 name does not inherit the sponsor's trial data.

Content review status

investigational verified

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