A snapshot of upbeat PhII NASH data — from a very small trial — triggers a frenzy for Viking’s stock
Viking Therapeutics $VKTX has proven once again that nothing whips up biotech investors like positive Phase II numbers for NASH.
The San Diego-based biotech’s shares rocketed up more than 100% Tuesday morning on Viking’s boast that VK2809 slashed liver fat content — a biomarker for the disease — while delivering a drop of 20% or more in LDL in the mid-stage study.
Jefferies’ Michael Yee looked it over and boiled the data down to this: “57-60% median relative change in liver fat by MRI-PDFF including a 77-91% responder rate on >30% fat reduction hurdle; and they looked at ‘super’ responders of >50% fat reduction of which was 61-73% response rate….while cross-trial in non-identical populations, MDGL was a bit lower at 36-42% median relative change and 60-75% achieving the >30% reduction threshold. (2) LDL-cholesterol reduction was ‘greater than 20%’ and in the ballpark of MDGL also 19-21% on an optimal dose of MGL-3196.”
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