VK2735

Dosing from the Literature

Published for fat loss: weekly Phase 2 doses up to the highest tested. Not published: a final dose; Phase 3 is under way.

What It Is

VK2735 is an investigational dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist being developed by Viking Therapeutics (San Diego, CA) for chronic weight management and metabolic disease. Mechanistically it occupies the same receptor space as Eli Lilly's tirzepatide — simultaneous activation of the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor and the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor — but as a distinct molecular entity with Viking's proprietary peptide engineering. The program includes both a once-weekly subcutaneous formulation and an oral formulation, with the oral program offering meaningful differentiation against tirzepatide's injection-only market position.

Viking has advanced VK2735 through Phase 1 pharmacokinetic / safety and Phase 2 efficacy trials, and began Phase 3 in June 2025. The headline efficacy data from the VENTURE Phase 2 trial (reported in 2024) showed up to ~14.7% mean body weight reduction at 13 weeks at the highest tested dose in adults with obesity, with dose-dependent weight loss across cohorts and a tolerability profile consistent with the GIP/GLP-1 class (GI adverse events as the dose-limiting signal) (Bays et al., Obesity 2026; PMID 41508550). A 13-week reduction of this magnitude suggests a rate of loss approaching or exceeding tirzepatide's SURMOUNT-1 trajectory at comparable dose ranges, though direct head-to-head comparison requires longer time points and matched study populations.

The oral VK2735 program is strategically important because oral once-daily obesity therapeutics are a large unmet commercial demand that injection-only GLP-1 / GIP-GLP-1 agents do not fill. Viking's oral VK2735 has completed a 13-week Phase 2 trial, with results so far only in company announcements, competing against Eli Lilly's oral orforglipron program and Novo Nordisk's oral semaglutide / amycretin pipeline.

As of April 2026, VK2735 is investigational — not FDA-approved and not available by prescription; it is given in Viking Therapeutics' clinical trials (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07104500, NCT07104383). Research-chemical vendors have marketed "VK2735" products in recent years; these are unregulated and may or may not be the molecule claimed on label.

Mechanism of Action

VK2735 activates both incretin receptors, GIP and GLP-1 (Bays et al., Obesity 2026; PMID 41508550), as tirzepatide does (Zepbound label). No study of how VK2735 acts in cells or animals has been published, so the points below come from tirzepatide and the wider class unless VK2735 is named.

• GLP-1 receptor activation — GLP-1 is a physiological regulator of appetite and calorie intake, and GLP-1 receptors sit in brain areas involved in appetite regulation (Zepbound label).
• GIP receptor activation — Nonclinical studies suggest GIP adds to the regulation of food intake, and GIP receptors also sit in brain areas involved in appetite regulation (Zepbound label). In mice, rats and musk shrews, GIP-receptor activation blocked the vomiting and lessened the illness behavior caused by a GLP-1 agonist while keeping its effects on food intake and body weight; the study points to GIP-receptor neurons in the area postrema and nucleus tractus solitarius of the hindbrain (Borner et al., Diabetes 2021; PMID 34380697).
• Dual versus GLP-1-only agonists — In mice, tirzepatide cut body weight and food intake more than a GLP-1 receptor agonist (Coskun et al., Mol Metab 2018; PMID 30473097); in 1,879 adults with type 2 diabetes, tirzepatide 5–15 mg lowered HbA1c and weight more than semaglutide 1 mg over 40 weeks, with nausea in 17–22% against 18% (Frías et al., N Engl J Med 2021; PMID 34170647).
• Central appetite suppression — Tirzepatide lowers calorie intake, likely by acting on appetite, and in animal studies it reaches and activates neurons in brain regions that regulate appetite and food intake (Zepbound label).
• Adipose remodeling — Not measured for VK2735: VENTURE reported weight, BMI and waist and hip size, not fat depots (Bays et al., Obesity 2026; PMID 41508550). In the SURPASS-3 MRI substudy of people with type 2 diabetes, tirzepatide cut liver fat and both visceral and abdominal subcutaneous fat volumes more than insulin degludec (Gastaldelli et al., Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2022; PMID 35468325).
• Hepatic effects — Unknown for VK2735: Viking has reported no liver-biopsy (MASH) data, and no trial of VK2735 in people with MASH is registered (ClinicalTrials.gov). In the class, tirzepatide (Loomba et al., N Engl J Med 2024; PMID 38856224) and semaglutide (Sanyal et al., N Engl J Med 2025; PMID 40305708) resolved MASH more often than placebo in biopsy trials.
• Oral formulation bioavailability — Viking is also developing VK2735 as a once-daily tablet. In its 13-week Phase 2 in 280 adults, Viking reported mean weight loss of up to 12.2% on 120 mg a day against 1.3% on placebo; the results are not in a journal (Viking Therapeutics, August 19, 2025; ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06828055).
• Pharmacokinetics supporting weekly dosing — VENTURE gave VK2735 once a week under the skin; the trial paper gives no half-life figure and says only that the peptide carries a side chain that gives it an extended half-life under the skin (Bays et al., Obesity 2026; PMID 41508550).
• Receptor-binding balance — Tirzepatide has roughly equivalent GIP affinity to native GIP but ~5× weaker than native GLP-1 (Coskun et al., Mol Metab 2018; PMID 30473097). The VENTURE paper gives IC50 values of 188 nM at the GLP-1 receptor and 325 nM at the GIP receptor, citing unpublished company data (Bays et al., Obesity 2026; PMID 41508550).
• Insulin secretion glucose-dependence — Tirzepatide stimulates insulin secretion in a glucose-dependent way (Zepbound label); in mice it did so through both the GIP and GLP-1 receptors (Coskun et al., Mol Metab 2018; PMID 30473097). In VENTURE, in adults without diabetes, fasting glucose fell by 9–11 mg/dL on VK2735 against 0.4 mg/dL on placebo (Bays et al., Obesity 2026; PMID 41508550).
• Glucagon suppression — Tirzepatide reduces glucagon secretion (Zepbound label); VENTURE did not measure glucagon (Bays et al., Obesity 2026; PMID 41508550).
• Gastric emptying and satiety — Tirzepatide delays gastric emptying; the delay is largest after the first dose and fades over time (Zepbound label). No gastric-emptying data have been published for VK2735.

What the Research Shows

• VENTURE Phase 2 (SubQ VK2735, 2024) — 13-week randomized trial in adults with obesity. Up to 14.7% body weight reduction from baseline at the highest tested dose (13.1 percentage points more than placebo). Dose-dependent across cohorts. GI adverse-event profile consistent with the GIP/GLP-1 class. Topline data were first reported by Viking Therapeutics in 2024. The full results appeared in 2026: 176 adults with obesity, or overweight with a weight-related condition and no diabetes, were randomized to 2.5, 5, 10 or 15 mg once weekly or placebo; mean weight fell 9.1%, 10.9%, 12.9% and 14.7% from baseline against 1.7% on placebo, with no sign of a plateau at week 13 (Bays et al., Obesity 2026; PMID 41508550).
• Phase 1 SAD/MAD (SubQ) — Dose-ranging single- and multiple-ascending-dose studies establishing PK, tolerability, and dose-response prior to VENTURE. The registered Phase 1 was randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled, with single and four-week weekly subcutaneous ascending doses and a 28-day part with daily oral doses, in 92 healthy adults or adults with a raised BMI; it was completed in December 2024 (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05203237).
• Oral VK2735 Phase 1 — A 28-day part of the registered Phase 1 gave daily oral doses (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05203237); the company has reported weight loss, but no results are published in a journal or posted on the registry.
• Oral VK2735 Phase 2 (completed) — A 13-week, placebo-controlled trial of six once-daily tablet doses in 280 adults finished in 2025; results are not yet in a journal or posted on the registry, though Viking announced them in August 2025 (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06828055; Viking Therapeutics, August 19, 2025).
• Phase 3 program — Under way since June 2025: two 78-week trials, VANQUISH 1 and VANQUISH 2 (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07104500, NCT07104383).
• Dual incretin class context — VK2735 follows tirzepatide, the approved GIP/GLP-1 dual agonist, which lowered weight 15.0–20.9% over 72 weeks on 5–15 mg weekly in 2,539 adults with obesity, or overweight with a weight-related complication, without diabetes (SURMOUNT-1; Jastreboff et al., N Engl J Med 2022; PMID 35658024). The tirzepatide label warns of thyroid C-cell tumors in rats, pancreatitis, severe gastrointestinal reactions and gallbladder disease (Zepbound label); whether these apply to VK2735 is not yet known, and in 13 weeks VENTURE recorded no pancreatitis and two gallbladder events (Bays et al., Obesity 2026; PMID 41508550).

Human Data

• Phase 1 SubQ VK2735 — Completed dose-ranging safety / PK in healthy volunteers and obese volunteers.
• VENTURE Phase 2 SubQ (NCT06068946) — 13-week obesity Phase 2. Topline 14.7% weight reduction at highest dose.
• Phase 1/2 oral VK2735 — Oral results so far come from company announcements, not from journals or the trial registry.
• Oral VK2735 Phase 2 — Completed in 2025. The registered trial, VENTURE-Oral Dosing, randomized 280 adults to six once-daily oral doses or placebo for 13 weeks and was completed in 2025, with no results posted on the registry (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06828055).
• Phase 3 (VANQUISH) — Two 78-week Phase 3 trials began in June 2025, each comparing weekly 7.5, 12.5 or 17.5 mg with placebo: VANQUISH 1 in about 4,500 adults without type 2 diabetes (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07104500) and VANQUISH 2 in about 1,100 adults with type 2 diabetes (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07104383); primary completion is estimated for July 2027.
• No CV outcomes trial — No dedicated CVOT for VK2735 as of April 2026.
• No MASH histology trial — Not yet initiated.
• Competitive landscape — Tirzepatide (FDA-approved), retatrutide (Phase 3, triple GIP/GLP-1/glucagon), semaglutide (FDA-approved), orforglipron (oral GLP-1, FDA-approved as Foundayo in April 2026; Drugs@FDA), Viking's own oral VK2735 — crowded and rapidly evolving.
• VENTURE Phase 2 context — The 13-week trial enrolled adults with obesity across multiple dose arms plus placebo. Dose-dependent weight loss was observed at each escalation step, and the 14.7% topline at the highest dose has been the headline figure driving market interest. Phase 2 safety data were consistent with the GIP/GLP-1 class, with GI adverse events as the primary tolerability signal.
• Oral VK2735 strategic importance — Viking's oral tablet completed a 13-week Phase 2 in 2025 (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06828055), with results so far only in company announcements (Viking Therapeutics, August 19, 2025). It would enter a field that now has two FDA-approved weight-loss pills, semaglutide tablets (Wegovy, December 2025) and orforglipron (Foundayo, April 2026) (Drugs@FDA).
• Metabolic disease beyond obesity — Viking has publicly discussed additional metabolic-disease indications (type 2 diabetes, MASH) for VK2735 pending Phase 2 obesity-program success. VANQUISH 2, a Phase 3 weight-management trial in adults with type 2 diabetes, began in June 2025 (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07104383); no MASH trial of VK2735 is registered.
• Retatrutide comparison — Eli Lilly's triple agonist adds the glucagon receptor to the GIP and GLP-1 receptors that VK2735 targets (Bays et al., Obesity 2026; PMID 41508550). Retatrutide Phase 2 (Jastreboff et al., NEJM 2023; PMID 37366315) demonstrated 24.2% weight loss at 48 weeks at 12 mg in adults with obesity, or overweight with a weight-related condition, and Rosenstock et al. Lancet 2023 (PMID 37385280) demonstrated T2D efficacy. No trial has compared the two drugs (ClinicalTrials.gov).

Pipeline

• Phase 3 VANQUISH 1 (NCT07104500), primary completion est. Jul 2027
• Phase 3 VANQUISH 2 (type 2 diabetes) (NCT07104383), primary completion est. Jul 2027
• Phase 3 SUNRISE 1, daily tablet against placebo in obesity, or overweight with a weight-related condition, without type 2 diabetes (560 planned; not yet recruiting) (NCT07868835), primary completion est. Jul 2028
• Phase 3 SUNRISE 2, daily tablet against placebo in obesity or overweight with type 2 diabetes (560 planned; not yet recruiting) (NCT07868939), primary completion est. Oct 2028
• Phase 1, schedules after weekly injections (injections every week, every other week or every month, or tablets) against placebo in adults with obesity and no related conditions (270 planned; recruiting) (NCT07838740), primary completion est. May 2027

Reconstitution & Storage

No label, paper or trial record gives preparation or storage details for VK2735. In VENTURE the weekly injections were given at the trial sites (Bays et al., Obesity 2026; PMID 41508550); the oral form is a once-daily tablet (Viking Therapeutics, August 19, 2025). Research-chemical sellers also offer products under its name, which no regulator has approved.

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Side Effects & Risks

• Gastrointestinal (class-consistent) — Nausea, constipation, vomiting and diarrhea were the most common side effects in VENTURE; the authors note that semaglutide and tirzepatide share this pattern and that the effects came mostly early and eased over time, and stopping treatment for side effects was more common at higher doses (Bays et al., Obesity 2026; PMID 41508550). Across all 175 participants in VENTURE, the most common drug-related side effects were nausea (37%), constipation (21%) and vomiting (13%), mostly mild or moderate; side effects led to stopping treatment in 3% on 2.5 mg, 11% on 5 and 10 mg and 20% on 15 mg, against none on placebo (Bays et al., Obesity 2026; PMID 41508550).
• Early-stage safety data — Published safety data come from one 13-week trial in 175 adults, 140 of them on VK2735; it recorded no pancreatitis and two gallbladder events on VK2735 (Bays et al., Obesity 2026; PMID 41508550). The tirzepatide label warns of thyroid C-cell tumors in rats, acute pancreatitis, acute gallbladder disease, severe gastrointestinal reactions (it is not recommended in severe gastroparesis) and acute kidney injury from fluid loss (Zepbound label); whether these apply to VK2735 is not yet known.
• Hypoglycemia (theoretical class signal) — VENTURE excluded people with diabetes (Bays et al., Obesity 2026; PMID 41508550). The tirzepatide label warns that use with insulin or a sulfonylurea raises the risk of low blood sugar, including severe low blood sugar (Zepbound label).
• Lean mass loss during rapid weight loss — Not measured for VK2735: VENTURE reported no body-composition data (Bays et al., Obesity 2026; PMID 41508550). Tirzepatide lowers body weight with more fat than lean mass lost (Zepbound label).
• Oral contraceptive efficacy — Theoretical for VK2735. The tirzepatide label warns that, because it delays gastric emptying, it may affect the absorption of oral medications, and it advises a non-oral or added barrier method of contraception for 4 weeks after starting and after each dose increase (Zepbound label).
• Pre-operative aspiration risk — The tirzepatide label notes rare postmarketing reports of pulmonary aspiration in people taking GLP-1 receptor agonists who had general anesthesia or deep sedation (Zepbound label).
• Pregnancy / lactation — Not studied: VENTURE excluded pregnant and breastfeeding women (Bays et al., Obesity 2026; PMID 41508550). The tirzepatide label says it may cause fetal harm, based on animal studies (Zepbound label).
• Research-chemical product risk — Products sold as "VK2735" by research-chemical suppliers are unregulated: no regulator vouches for their identity, purity or dose.
• WADA status — Not named on the 2026 Prohibited List, and GIP/GLP-1 agonists are not a listed class, but as a drug in clinical development with no approval it falls under S0 (non-approved substances), prohibited at all times (WADA Prohibited List 2026).

Bloodwork & Monitoring

No label or guideline sets monitoring for VK2735. Over its 13 weeks, VENTURE tracked side effects, body weight, blood pressure, heart rate and ECGs, routine chemistry, blood counts and liver tests, amylase and lipase, calcitonin and thyroid hormones, fasting glucose, HbA1c and lipids, and anti-drug antibodies (Bays et al., Obesity 2026; PMID 41508550).

Quick Compare — VK2735 vs Tirzepatide vs Retatrutide vs Semaglutide

The GIP/GLP-1 / incretin-class weight-loss landscape as of April 2026:

• Efficacy — The peak figures above come from trials of different length and population (13 weeks for VK2735, 48 to 72 weeks for the others), so they do not rank the drugs; no trial has compared VK2735 with any of them (ClinicalTrials.gov).
• Evidence maturity — Tirzepatide and semaglutide have the deepest outcome data. VK2735 is early. Retatrutide is advancing.
• Oral differentiation — Two oral weight-loss drugs of the class are FDA-approved: semaglutide tablets (Wegovy, December 2025) and orforglipron (Foundayo, April 2026), Eli Lilly's GLP-1-only pill (Drugs@FDA). In OASIS 1, oral semaglutide 50 mg a day cut weight 15.1% at 68 weeks against 2.4% on placebo in 667 adults with overweight or obesity without type 2 diabetes (Knop et al., Lancet 2023; PMID 37385278). VK2735's tablet has finished Phase 2, with results so far only in company announcements (Viking Therapeutics, August 19, 2025).
• Practical implication — Of the four, tirzepatide and semaglutide are FDA-approved (Drugs@FDA); VK2735 and retatrutide are in Phase 3 trials (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07104500, NCT06383390).

→ See Tirzepatide profile  •  → See Retatrutide profile  •  → See Semaglutide profile

Practical User Notes

• Trials — Viking's VK2735 trials and their eligibility criteria are listed on ClinicalTrials.gov; both Phase 3 trials of the injection, VANQUISH 1 and 2, have finished enrolling (NCT07104500, NCT07104383), and the two Phase 3 trials of the daily tablet registered in October 2026, SUNRISE 1 and 2, are not yet recruiting (NCT07868835, NCT07868939).
• Approved drugs in the class — Tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) and semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) are FDA-approved (Drugs@FDA).
• Research-chemical "VK2735" — A product sold under the name may or may not contain the molecule from Viking's program, and its dose, purity and stability are not regulated.
• Titration and tolerability — In VENTURE, nausea peaked in the first week in the 15 mg group, which started at 5 mg rather than 2.5 mg; the authors write that the benefit of starting below 5 mg and stepping up informed the Phase 3 design (Bays et al., Obesity 2026; PMID 41508550).
• Red flags — VK2735 has no label. The tirzepatide label lists persistent or severe abdominal pain, sometimes spreading to the back, as a possible sign of pancreatitis, and a neck mass, trouble swallowing, shortness of breath or persistent hoarseness as possible signs of thyroid tumors (Zepbound label).

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References

1. ClinicalTrials.gov. VK2735 for Weight Management Phase 2 (VENTURE). NCT06068946.
2. Coskun T, Sloop KW, Loghin C, Alsina-Fernandez J, Urva S, Bokvist KB, et al. LY3298176, a novel dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus: From discovery to clinical proof of concept. Mol Metab. 2018;18:3-14. PMID: 30473097.
3. Jastreboff AM, Aronne LJ, Ahmad NN, Wharton S, Connery L, Alves B, et al.; SURMOUNT-1 Investigators. Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity. N Engl J Med. 2022;387(3):205-216. PMID: 35658024.
4. Jastreboff AM, Kaplan LM, Frías JP, Wu Q, Du Y, Gurbuz S, Coskun T, Haupt A, Milicevic Z, Hartman ML; Retatrutide Phase 2 Obesity Trial Investigators. Triple–Hormone-Receptor Agonist Retatrutide for Obesity — A Phase 2 Trial. N Engl J Med. 2023;389(6):514-526. PMID: 37366315.
5. Rosenstock J, Frias J, Jastreboff AM, Du Y, Lou J, Gurbuz S, Thomas MK, Hartman ML, Haupt A, Milicevic Z, Coskun T. Retatrutide, a GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon receptor agonist, for people with type 2 diabetes: a randomised, double-blind, placebo and active-controlled, parallel-group, phase 2 trial. Lancet. 2023;402(10401):529-544. PMID: 37385280.
6. Frías JP, Davies MJ, Rosenstock J, Pérez Manghi FC, Fernández Landó L, Bergman BK, et al.; SURPASS-2 Investigators. Tirzepatide versus Semaglutide Once Weekly in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2021;385(6):503-515. PMID: 34170647.
7. Knop FK, Aroda VR, do Vale RD, Holst-Hansen T, Laursen PN, Rosenstock J, Rubino DM, Garvey WT; OASIS 1 Investigators. Oral semaglutide 50 mg taken once per day in adults with overweight or obesity (OASIS 1): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2023;402(10403):705-719. PMID: 37385278.
8. World Anti-Doping Agency. The 2026 Prohibited List. Section S0 (non-approved substances). wada-ama.org.
9. FDA. Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503A of the FD&C Act (503A categories list), versions updated April 15, April 22 and May 14, 2026. fda.gov/media/94155/download. Read October 3, 2026. (Notice that 12 peptides would leave Category 2 because their nominations were withdrawn; their removal; GHK-Cu, except injectable, back in Category 1.)
10. Bays HE, Toth P, Alkhouri N, Pullman J, Freilich B, Neutel J, Ji S, Stubbe S, Hedges P, Lian B. Weekly Subcutaneous VK2735, a GIP/GLP-1 Receptor Dual Agonist, for Weight Management: Phase 2, Randomized, 13-Week VENTURE Study. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2026;34(3):537-549. PMID: 41508550. (The peer-reviewed VENTURE results; NCT06068946.)
11. ClinicalTrials.gov. Phase 1 Study to Evaluate the Safety and Tolerability of VK2735. NCT05203237. Read October 3, 2026.
12. ClinicalTrials.gov. VK2735 for Weight Management Phase 2 (Venture Oral Dosing). NCT06828055. Read October 3, 2026.
13. ClinicalTrials.gov. VK2735 for Weight Management Phase 3 (VANQUISH 1). NCT07104500. Read October 3, 2026.
14. ClinicalTrials.gov. VK2735 for Weight Management Type 2 Diabetes Phase 3 (VANQUISH 2). NCT07104383. Read October 3, 2026.
15. Wilding JPH, Batterham RL, Calanna S, Davies M, Van Gaal LF, Lingvay I, McGowan BM, Rosenstock J, Tran MTD, Wadden TA, Wharton S, Yokote K, Zeuthen N, Kushner RF; STEP 1 Study Group. Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity. N Engl J Med. 2021;384(11):989-1002. PMID: 33567185.
16. Loomba R, Hartman ML, Lawitz EJ, Vuppalanchi R, Boursier J, Bugianesi E, Yoneda M, Behling C, Cummings OW, Tang Y, Brouwers B, Robins DA, Nikooie A, Bunck MC, Haupt A, Sanyal AJ; SYNERGY-NASH Investigators. Tirzepatide for Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis with Liver Fibrosis. N Engl J Med. 2024;391(4):299-310. PMID: 38856224.
17. Sanyal AJ, Newsome PN, Kliers I, Østergaard LH, Long MT, Kjær MS, Cali AMG, Bugianesi E, Rinella ME, Roden M, Ratziu V; ESSENCE Study Group. Phase 3 Trial of Semaglutide in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis. N Engl J Med. 2025;392(21):2089-2099. PMID: 40305708.
18. Borner T, Geisler CE, Fortin SM, Cosgrove R, Alsina-Fernandez J, Dogra M, Doebley S, Sanchez-Navarro MJ, Leon RM, Gaisinsky J, White A, Bamezai A, Ghidewon MY, Grill HJ, Crist RC, Reiner BC, Ai M, Samms RJ, De Jonghe BC, Hayes MR. GIP Receptor Agonism Attenuates GLP-1 Receptor Agonist-Induced Nausea and Emesis in Preclinical Models. Diabetes. 2021;70(11):2545-2553. PMID: 34380697.
19. Gastaldelli A, Cusi K, Fernández Landó L, Bray R, Brouwers B, Rodríguez Á. Effect of tirzepatide versus insulin degludec on liver fat content and abdominal adipose tissue in people with type 2 diabetes (SURPASS-3 MRI): a substudy of the randomised, open-label, parallel-group, phase 3 SURPASS-3 trial. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2022;10(6):393-406. PMID: 35468325.
20. Lincoff AM, Brown-Frandsen K, Colhoun HM, Deanfield J, Emerson SS, Esbjerg S, Hardt-Lindberg S, Hovingh GK, Kahn SE, Kushner RF, Lingvay I, Oral TK, Michelsen MM, Plutzky J, Tornøe CW, Ryan DH; SELECT Trial Investigators. Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Obesity without Diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2023;389(24):2221-2232. PMID: 37952131.
21. Nicholls SJ, Pavo I, Bhatt DL, Buse JB, Del Prato S, Kahn SE, Lincoff AM, McGuire DK, Miller D, Nauck MA, Nishiyama H, Nissen SE, Sattar N, Weerakkody G, Wiese RJ, Zinman B, Zoungas S, Basile J, Davies MJ, Giorgino F, Kellerer M, Ji L, Varkonyi T, Menon V, Broder JC, Herschtal A, D'Alessio D; SURPASS-CVOT Investigators. Cardiovascular Outcomes with Tirzepatide versus Dulaglutide in Type 2 Diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2025;393(24):2409-2420. PMID: 41406444.
22. Eli Lilly and Company. Zepbound (tirzepatide) injection prescribing information. DailyMed set ID 487cd7e7-434c-4925-99fa-aa80b1cc776b (version effective August 28, 2026). dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. Read October 3, 2026.
23. Viking Therapeutics. Viking Therapeutics Announces Positive Top-Line Results from Phase 2 VENTURE-Oral Dosing Trial of VK2735 Tablet Formulation in Patients with Obesity. Press release, August 19, 2025. prnewswire.com. Read October 3, 2026.
24. Jastreboff AM, Kaplan LM, Davies MJ, et al. Retatrutide, a Triple Hormone Receptor Agonist, for Treatment of Obesity (TRIUMPH-1). N Engl J Med. 2026 (published online September 29, 2026). PMID: 42814954. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2604169.
25. Sanyal AJ, Kaplan LM, Frias JP, et al. Triple hormone receptor agonist retatrutide for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a randomized phase 2a trial. Nat Med. 2024;30(7):2037-2048. PMID: 38858523.
26. Eli Lilly and Company. Lilly’s triple agonist, retatrutide, delivered substantial weight loss and A1C reduction, underscoring its potential promise for people with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Press release, September 29, 2026 (PR Newswire). prnewswire.com/news-releases/lillys-triple-agonist-retatrutide-delivered-substantial-weight-loss-and-a1c-reduction-underscoring-its-potential-promise-for-people-with-obesity-and-type-2-diabetes-302891798.html. Read October 4, 2026.
27. ClinicalTrials.gov. Oral VK2735 for Weight Management Phase 3 (SUNRISE 1). NCT07868835. Read October 12, 2026.
28. ClinicalTrials.gov. Oral VK2735 for Weight Management in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Phase 3 (SUNRISE 2). NCT07868939. Read October 12, 2026.

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