VK2735: What the Evidence Actually Shows

VK2735 is a real, investigational compound from Viking Therapeutics — a dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist, mechanistically similar to tirzepatide, and as of this review it has progressed all the way to Phase 3 trials for both weight management and type 2 diabetes. It has no FDA approval and no brand name yet, but it is one of the more advanced next-generation candidates in this drug class, with real published efficacy data for its injectable form and real company-disclosed data for a parallel oral tablet.

What it actually is, mechanistically

VK2735 activates both the GLP-1 receptor and the GIP receptor — the same dual-receptor mechanism as tirzepatide (Zepbound/Mounjaro), the only FDA-approved drug in that specific mechanistic class¹. Viking has developed it in two separate formulations: a once-weekly subcutaneous injection and a once-daily oral tablet, both tested in real, distinct clinical trials rather than one formulation with an occasional side study¹².

Where it actually stands: Phase 3, confirmed live

A live ClinicalTrials.gov registry check found VK2735 has moved past Phase 2 for both formulations combined and into Phase 3. The injectable formulation completed Phase 1 safety testing and a Phase 2 dose-ranging trial (VENTURE, completed February 2024); the oral tablet completed its own separate Phase 2 trial (Venture Oral Dosing, completed June 2025). Two Phase 3 trials are now active — one for weight management generally, one specifically in type 2 diabetes (branded "VANQUISH 2") — both started June 2025, both listed active but not currently recruiting, with an estimated study completion of July 2027³. All five trials on record list Viking Therapeutics as sole sponsor. VK2735 has no FDA approval as of this review.

The injectable formulation's real, peer-reviewed data

VK2735's subcutaneous formulation has the strongest evidence base to date: a real, peer-reviewed, published Phase 2 trial (VENTURE), not just a press release. Read directly from the published results, this was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging study in adults with obesity or overweight plus at least one weight-related comorbidity, excluding anyone with diabetes, over 13 weeks¹. Mean weight reduction ranged from 9.1% at the 2.5mg dose to 14.7% at the 15mg dose, versus 1.7% with placebo¹. That 14.7% figure over just 13 weeks is a genuinely large effect for this early in a trial program — for comparison, tirzepatide's own pivotal SURMOUNT-1 trial took 72 weeks to reach a similar range. Ninety-three percent of participants on active treatment (130 of 140) achieved at least 5% weight loss, versus 12% (4 of 34) on placebo¹. The adverse-event profile was gastrointestinal, as expected for this drug class, and decreased in reported frequency after the dose-titration period¹.

The oral formulation's real data — company-disclosed, not yet peer-reviewed

The parallel oral tablet trial (280 participants, six dose arms plus placebo, also 13 weeks) reported its topline results through a company press release on August 19, 2025 — a real, verifiable primary source, but a company disclosure rather than a peer-reviewed journal publication, a distinction this article states directly because no peer-reviewed paper for the oral formulation was found as of this review. By the company's own reported numbers: weight reduction ranged from 2.3% at the lowest effective dose (15mg) up to 12.2% (about 26.6 pounds) at the highest tested dose (120mg), versus 1.3% with placebo, with every dose above 15mg reaching statistical significance against both baseline and placebo (P<0.0001)². Up to 97% of participants achieved at least 5% weight loss, and up to 80% achieved at least 10%². Nausea occurred in 58% of VK2735 recipients versus 48% on placebo, and vomiting in 26% versus 10%² — a somewhat higher GI burden than the injectable formulation reported, which is a common pattern for oral GLP-1-class drugs generally, not unique to VK2735. Ninety-eight percent of drug-related adverse events were characterized as mild or moderate². A real, exploratory maintenance-dosing arm — transitioning patients from a 90mg starting dose down to 30mg after 4 weeks — found weight loss stabilized around 9.2% after the transition, a real early signal that a lower dose might sustain results once initial weight loss is achieved, though this remains exploratory, company-reported data rather than a confirmed finding.

What this means if you're considering it

VK2735 is real, well-funded, and further along than most next-generation obesity candidates — genuinely into Phase 3 for both weight management and type 2 diabetes, with a real, peer-reviewed injectable dataset showing substantial 13-week weight loss and a real, company-disclosed oral dataset showing a similar pattern at a somewhat higher GI-tolerability cost. It has no approval and no brand name, and it is not sold anywhere — no reviewed provider on this site's roster carries it, and none legally could. For how it compares to the current approved standard in this mechanistic class, see our tirzepatide vs. semaglutide evidence review; for two other real next-generation candidates at earlier stages, see our bimagrumab and amycretin evidence reviews.