Could This Healthcare Stock Help You Build a Real Fortune Over the Next 20 Years?

The short, but glib, answer to the headline question posed for Viking Therapeutics (VKTX 0.11%) investors is "no," because the likelihood is that the $4.6 billion market cap company will be bought up by a larger pharmaceutical company if it has success in its clinical trials, and particularly with its lead drug candidate VK2735. Still, that doesn't mean the company can't deliver substantial value to investors. Here's why. A competitive market for VK2735 VK2735 is a dual GLP-1/GIP agonist in development for weight loss and diabetes management. It's part of a growing and popular class of drugs that already dominate the weight loss market, thanks to blockbuster drugs like Eli Lilly's (LLY +1.35%) Zepbound (tirzepatide) and Novo Nordisk's (NVO +3.29%) Wegovy (semaglutide). Image source: Getty Images. At which point, investors are entitled to ask how Viking can hope to grab market share in a competitive market. It's a market where Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk already have blockbusters, have oral weight loss pills approved, and continue to develop new drugs in the GLP-1 class. What makes VK2735 different Viking's VK2735 has a couple of qualities that set it apart from the competition. First, it's in development as a dual-formulation therapy. This raises the potential for it to be initially administered as an injectable to rapidly lose weight, then shifted to a less intrusive, more convenient oral dose for maintenance. Second, VK2735 has demonstrated, in both injectable and oral form, an ability to significantly reduce weight loss. Note that the mid-teens percentage baseline weight loss in the two phase 2 VK2735 trials occurred at 13 weeks, compared to much longer periods for the Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk oral offerings. This raises the prospect of rapid weight loss over, say, a few months using the injectable form, before switching to the oral form for maintenance or to continue weight loss. This sort of option might be more attractive for many over taking oral pills for a year and a half to produce similar results.

Company Clinical Trial Drug Name Formulation Peak Weight Loss Time to Peak Results Current status Novo Nordisk Phase 3 Wegovy (semaglutide) Oral 16.6% 64 weeks Approved December 2025 Eli Lilly Phase 3 Foundayo (orforglipron) Oral 12.4% 72 weeks Approved April 2026 Viking Phase 2 VK2735 Subcutaneous 14.7% 13 weeks Phase 3 results due mid to late 2027 Viking Phase 2 VK2735 Oral 12.2% 13 weeks Phase 3 results due late 2028 or early 2029 Data source: Company presentations. To that end, Viking is conducting a phase 1 maintenance study in which participants will take injectable VK2735 for 19 weeks before moving to a maintenance dose, including weekly, biweekly, and monthly injectable dosing, as well as daily and weekly oral dosing. The results from the subcutaneous dosing are due for release in the third quarter of this year, but investors will have to wait until early 2027 for the oral dosing data. The bears' viewpoint The glass-half-empty view holds that, aside from the phase 1 maintenance data, it won't be until late 2027 that Viking starts reporting phase 3 results for subcutaneous VK2735, and until 2028 for oral VK2735. Investors will need to be patient, and a lot can happen in that time. In addition, the phase 2 oral trial has questionable safety and tolerability data, with a 20% discontinuation rate due to adverse events in the treated group, compared with 13% in the placebo group. ExpandNASDAQ: VKTXViking TherapeuticsToday's Change(-0.11%) $-0.04Current Price$37.44Key Data PointsMarket Cap$4.3BDay's Range$36.69 - $38.8752wk Range$22.96 - $43.15Volume2.8KAvg Vol2.4M A stock to buy? The bullish case argues that the titration in the phase 2 oral trial was too aggressive (note the 13-week dosing period) and that the phase 3 data will likely improve on it after management adjusts the titration. In addition, the phase 1 maintenance trial is expected to be successful and demonstrate the potential of the dual-formulation approach. All told, there's a lot to like about Viking Therapeutics, and it wouldn't be surprising to see a larger company move in if the phase 1 maintenance trial data are good.Read NextJul 6, 2026 •By Erin KennedyCRISPR Therapeutics vs. Viking Therapeutics: Which Healthcare Stock Is a Better Buy in 2026?Jul 5, 2026 •By Alex CarchidiHow Much Could $1,000 Invested in Viking Therapeutics Be Worth by 2030?Jul 4, 2026 •By Adria CiminoIs Viking Therapeutics Stock Going to $50? Here's What the Bulls and Bears Are SayingJul 3, 2026 •By Lee SamahaHere's Why Viking Therapeutics Stock Surged Higher in JuneJul 1, 2026 •By Prosper Junior BakinyIs Viking Therapeutics Stock Going to $100?Jun 29, 2026 •By Keith SpeightsWill SpaceX Stock Double Anytime Soon? No -- but These 3 Stocks CouldAbout the AuthorLee Samaha is a contributing Stock Market Analyst at The Motley Fool covering industrials, electricals, energy, materials, transportation, and infrastructure stocks. Prior to The Motley Fool, Lee was a Civil Engineer and Investment Manager. He holds a Bachelor of Civil and Structural Engineering from Southampton University and a Certificate in Investment Management from Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment. Lee first cut his investing teeth on The Motley Fool bulletin boards (commonly referred to as the “Fool Boards,”) and he’s infinitely grateful to all of the investors he learned from in this powerful investing community.TMFSaintGermainX@LeeSamahaStocks MentionedViking TherapeuticsNASDAQ: VKTX$37.44(-0.11%)-$0.04Motley Fool Stock Advisor’s Latest PickGet Access---% Avg ReturnNovo NordiskNYSE: NVO$50.43(+3.40%)+$1.66Eli LillyNYSE: LLY$1,207.82(+1.35%)+$16.08*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.