VKTX Stock Extends Red-Hot Streak: Insider Scoops Up Shares As Multiple Phase 3 Trials Loom This Year In Obesity Race

• Chief Commercial Officer Neil Aubuchon bought 4,475 shares at $33.50, signaling insider confidence as the company advances its obesity pipeline.
• Viking plans four Phase 3 trials for its weight-loss drug VK2735, including two ongoing injectable studies launched in mid-2025.
• The company said enrollment in VK2735 obesity trials has been faster than expected.

Shares of Viking Therapeutics, Inc. are in focus on Wednesday after a senior executive scooped up shares, signaling confidence as the company heads into a pivotal year with four Phase 3 trials planned for its obesity pipeline.

VKTX stock gained for the third straight session on Tuesday, up over 3% to close at $34.66.

Four Phase 3 Trials Planned For Obesity Drug

A new regulatory filing showed that Chief Commercial Officer Neil Aubuchon bought 4,475 shares at $33.50 each on Tuesday, worth about $150,000. The insider purchase comes as the biotech firm advances its obesity drug candidate VK2735 into late-stage development.

Speaking at the Leerink Global Healthcare Conference 2026, CEO Brian Lian said the company expects to have four Phase 3 trials underway this year for its weight-loss candidate VK2735. Two late-stage trials evaluating the injectable version of the drug, Vanquish-1 and Vanquish-2, were launched around mid-2025. 

The company also plans to advance the oral formulation of VK2735 into Phase 3 later this year, following discussions with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Additionally, Viking highlighted a new obesity therapy targeting the amylin pathway that is expected to enter human studies. The company plans to file an investigational new drug application for the program this quarter and to begin a single ascending-dose study.

“A lot of data is continuing to emerge from the amylin class,” Lian said, noting that most compounds in the category have shown about 8% to 10% weight loss. He added that the opportunity could still be substantial even if the therapy targets a narrower patient population.

Enrollment Running Faster Than Expected

The company said enrollment for the obesity studies has been quicker than anticipated. “Both of them enrolled a little more quickly than we expected,” Lian said, attributing the pace to strong interest in next-generation weight-loss therapies.

The company also expects results this year from a maintenance study evaluating whether patients who lose weight on weekly injections can transition to monthly injections or oral dosing. Data from that study are expected in the third quarter.

VKTX Strategy Against Lilly And Novo

Aubuchon said the company does not need a dominant share of the obesity market to succeed despite competition from Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. “We don't need to get 30% market share,” he said. “We need to get 5% to 10% share, and we're extremely successful.”

He also added that pricing pressure may ease as regulators move to limit compounded GLP-1 drugs. “So I kind of think that the way companies look at this, big companies, they look at sort of a price volume trade-off, and I think we sort of hit an equilibrium. And at this point, I think it's going to stay relatively stable, and we feel pretty good about this pricing level.”

How Did Stocktwits Users React?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for VKTX was ‘neutral’ amid an 80% jump in 24-hour message volume.

One user said, “WRT Neil Aubuchon purchase of shares - it is more likely to be indicative of a near term BO.”

Another user said, “Yup cause buying $150K in stock with post tax dollars is a bad thing? He even purchased at a price higher than his recent options grants. He clearly sees the price higher in 6-12 months buyout or not.”

VKTX stock has declined 24% over the past year.

For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.

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