Business
Viking Therapeutics shares fall 40% on disappointing obesity pill trial data
Shares of Viking Therapeutics plunged Tuesday after the company released midstage trial data on its obesity pill that disappointed investors.
The biotech company’s stock price dropped to about $23.80 as of Tuesday morning, from $42.09 at Monday’s close, a roughly 43% plunge. Viking’s market cap now sits at about $2.69 billion, down from more than $4 billion on Monday.
The results could be a blow to Viking, which was once seen as a hot M&A target as pharmaceutical companies scramble to join the booming market for obesity and diabetes drugs. It could reinforce the dominance of Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk in the space, especially as they develop pills for weight loss that could enter the market years ahead of the tablet formulation of Viking’s drug, VK2735.
Jared Holz, Mizuho health care equity strategist, said in an email Tuesday that the data “probably shutters hope for [Viking] to be a bigtime player in the oral obesity market over the near to medium term.”
The race to develop a more convenient obesity pill has been fraught, as companies such as Pfizer have had to scrap previous contenders and bring forward new ones.
Viking’s once-daily pill helped patients lose up to 12.2% of their weight at around three months. The company also said that weight loss didn’t plateau, which means patients could lose even more in a longer-term study.
It’s difficult to directly compare the pill’s phase two trial data with the results of oral drugs further along in development, including treatments developed by Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk.
Holz added that the results on Viking’s pill “look inferior” to those of Eli Lilly’s oral drug “on almost all metrics.” The highest dose of Eli Lilly’s daily pill helped patients lose 12.4% of their body weight, or 11.2% regardless of discontinuations, at 72 weeks in a phase three trial.
Holz pointed to the high rate of patients who discontinued Viking’s drug for any reason over 13 weeks, which was around 28%. Meanwhile, around a quarter of people discontinued Eli Lilly’s pill, orforglipron, for any reason over 72 weeks.
That’s “a much longer trial and therefore [Lilly] looks far better head-to-head,” Holz said.
Viking said the most common reasons for patients to discontinue treatment were gastrointestinal side effects, the majority of which were mild to moderate in severity and observed earlier in treatment. But around 58% of patients reported experiencing nausea and 26% experienced vomiting, compared with 48% and 10%, respectively, among those who took a placebo.
Those side effect rates over a shorter trial period appear to be worse than those seen in trials on Eli Lilly’s pill and the oral version of Novo Nordisk’s weight loss drug Wegovy.
Viking’s treatment works by imitating two naturally produced gut hormones called GLP-1 and GIP.
GLP-1 helps reduce food intake and appetite. GIP, which also suppresses appetite, may also improve how the body breaks down sugar and fat.
Eli Lilly’s pill and the oral version of Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy both target GLP-1, but the latter has dietary restrictions.
Business
Top stocks to buy today: Stock recommendations for August 28, 2025 – check list – The Times of India
Top stock market recommendations: According to Aakash K Hindocha, Deputy Vice President – WM Research, Nuvama Professional Clients Group, Nykaa, Kaynes, and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories are the top buy calls for today. Here’s his view on Nifty, Bank Nifty and the top stock picks for August 28, 2025:Index View: NiftyAfter an inside bar formation on Monday, Nifty opened with a gap down reeling all throughout the session ahead of its trading holiday on Wednesday. The index has closed below its trailing support of 24800 allowing for further downside to be opened for 24500 / 24350. Nifty has also formed a bearish head and shoulders formation on daily charts with a neck line support seen at 24450. A break below the same post monthly expiry could reel in further pressure on the index.Bank NiftyUnderperforming Nifty, Bank has broken its support of 55050 opening for a test of sub 54000 odd levels to begin with. The index has also closed at a 3.5 month low on daily charts ahead of its monthly expiry scheduled on Thursday. 55000 is likely to act as resistance on the upside while the index slides below sub 54000 levels in the coming week.NYKAA (BUY):
- LCP: 231.65
- Stop Loss: 223
- Target: 252
Stock has been gaining traction ever since its 3 year triangle breakout seen in June 2025. For now NYKAA has given the highest ever close in past 3 years of trading along with a huge cup and handle breakout on daily and weekly charts. This opens up for a 18-20% trading buy target on the stock, yet we would advise for an initial uptick being 250+ on this leg.KAYNES (BUY):
- LCP: 6197
- Stop Loss: 5980
- Target: 6620
After a cup and handle breakout in early August 2025, stock has been consolidating near the breakout zone for the past 4 weeks now. Last week’s price action suggests further move northwards from CMP as the stock has completed multiple retests of its ongoing breakout.Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (BUY):
- LCP: 1263
- Stop Loss: 1230
- Target: 1355
Sustaining above its 200 DMA support, DRREDDY’s has also given a bullish flag breakout on daily charts. This allows its initial upside to open for the 1350-1360 zone where it could meet another potential breakout on upside.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market and other asset classes given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)
Business
White House fires CDC director Monarez after she refuses to resign; 4 top health officials quit
Susan Monarez, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), testifies during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on June 25, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Kayla Bartkowski | Getty Images
The White House on Wednesday said it had fired Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez after she refused to resign. Four other top CDC officials announced they were quitting the embattled health agency.
The leadership crisis at CDC erupted the same day the Food and Drug Administration announced new limits on who can get the latest approved round of Covid vaccines in the U.S.
“Susan Monarez is not aligned with the President’s agenda of Making America Healthy Again,” White House Spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement to NBC News. “Since Susan Monarez refused to resign despite informing [Health and Human Services Department] leadership of her intent to do so, the White House has terminated Monarez from her position with the CDC.”
The statement comes hours after attorney Mark Zaid said he was representing Monarez and that she had not actually been fired yet or stepped down, adding that she would not resign.
“When CDC Director Susan Monarez refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts, she chose protecting the public over serving a political agenda,” Zaid said in a statement. “For that, she has been targeted.”
Earlier on Wednesday, HHS said in a post on X that “Monarez is no longer director” of the agency.
Monarez, a longtime federal government scientist, was sworn in on July 31. She is the first CDC director to be confirmed by the Senate following a new law passed during the pandemic that required lawmakers to approve nominees for the role.
The Washington Post first reported her ousting on Wednesday.
At least four other officials also submitted their resignations on Wednesday in a massive shakeup at the agency: Dr. Debra Houry, the CDC’s chief medical officer; Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; Dr. Daniel Jernigan, the director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases; and Dr. Jennifer Layden, director of the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance and Technology.
Houry, in a resignation letter obtained by NBC News, wrote about the dangers of the spread of vaccine misinformation and said proposed budget cuts and reorganization plans would negatively impact the CDC’s ability to address conditions like hypertension, diabetes, cancer, overdoses and mental health issues.
In his resignation letter, also obtained by NBC News, Daskalakis said he was leaving the agency “because of the ongoing weaponizing of public health.”
Her departure comes at a tumultuous time for the agency, which is reeling from a gunman’s attack on its Atlanta headquarters on Aug. 8. A police officer died in the shooting.
Monarez on Friday canceled a meeting with CDC workers that had been scheduled for Monday, according to an email obtained by NBC News. She said she wanted to assure staff that the agency is working to restore their “trust in the safety and security of all CDC workplaces.”
President Donald Trump nominated Monarez after withdrawing his first pick to lead the CDC, former Republican congressman Dave Weldon, hours before his confirmation hearing. Weldon has been criticized for his views on vaccines.
— CNBC’s Michele Luhn contributed to this report.
NEW DELHI: Government is going to push for bridging the gaps on several contentious issues in trade talks with the European Union next month, while also demanding that the trading bloc offer concessions on carbon tax on the lines of the deal with the US, an official said Wednesday.“We are in the last mile, quite a few things are narrowing down. There are a handful of major issues and we are trying to narrow the gaps and then leave it to the leaders to take a political call,” the official said ahead of the next round of talks scheduled for Sept 8-12. EU commissioner for trade and economic security MaroS Šefcovicis also expected to travel to the Capital after the official level meeting to hold consultations with commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal.Both sides have set an year-end deadline to finalise the agreement and India is keen that it fills the missing link in Europe, having signed agreements with the UK and the four nation European Free Trade Association, comprising Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.The deals are part of efforts to push for a diversified trade basket that provides Indian exporters access to crucial markets. India already has trade pacts, from Australia to Asean, the UAE and Mercosur countries, and is seeking more deals.Sources suggested that govt will help exporters diversify, with the focus expanded from 20 countries to 50, while also coming out with export promotion measures to overcome the challenge of US tariffs. Intensive consultations are lined up with exporters in the coming days.Govt officials said based on the feedback, strategies to offset the impact of the US tariffs, including support from the Centre, will be devised.Outreach in countries, including the UK, Japan, and South Korea, to push textiles exports are also planned, with similar initiatives planned for other sectors. In case of textiles for instance, 40 potential markets have been identified and in each case a targeted approach is proposed, positioning Indian companies as reliable suppliers of quality, sustainable, and innovative textile products. Official said that export promotion councils (EPCs) will be the mainstay of the diversification strategy.
Putin, Kim Jong Un to attend Chinese parade in show of defiance to the West
Pakistan assails India for releasing torrents from dams
Smythson opens at Liberty, Pulco at Harrods and Samsøe Samsøe at Selfridges
-
Tech1 week agoKorea develops core radar components for stealth technology
-
Business1 week agoRSS Feed Generator, Create RSS feeds from URL
-
Fashion7 days agoTariff pressure casts shadow on Gujarat’s textile landscape
-
jobs1 week agoData Analyst at Easy Agile – Australia
-
Fashion7 days agoRent the Runway to swap debt for equity in revival effort
-
Fashion1 week agoUS retailers split on holiday prospects amid consumer caution
-
Tech7 days agoQi2’s Magnetic Wireless Charging Finally Arrives on Android
-
Sports1 week ago
Dan Quinn says Terry McLaurin is healthy, ‘closer’ to Commanders return