What Is VK2735? The Dual GLP-1/GIP Agonist Being Developed as Both an Injection and Tablet

The next generation of metabolic research isn’t only investigating new hormone pathways.

Researchers are also asking whether the same active compound could be developed in multiple formats — and potentially administered less frequently for long-term maintenance.

VK2735 is one of the most interesting examples.

Developed by Viking Therapeutics, VK2735 is an investigational dual receptor agonist targeting GLP-1 and GIP receptors.

But its development programme has an unusual feature.

Researchers are investigating VK2735 as both a subcutaneous formulation and an oral tablet, while separate research is exploring whether less frequent administration could potentially maintain previously achieved effects.

What Is VK2735?

VK2735 is an investigational molecule designed to activate two metabolic receptors:

GLP-1 receptor

• ●

GIP receptor

This makes VK2735 a dual agonist.

Both GLP-1 and GIP are naturally occurring incretin hormones released in response to nutrients.

Their receptors participate in metabolic signalling, but they’re separate biological systems.

VK2735 has been engineered to interact with both.

Why Study GLP-1 and GIP Together?

GLP-1 and GIP both participate in the body’s response to nutrients.

Rather than targeting GLP-1 signalling alone, researchers can investigate whether simultaneous activation of both receptors produces a different metabolic response.

This dual-receptor strategy has become an important branch of modern metabolic research.

But VK2735 is particularly interesting because Viking is investigating more than its receptor biology.

The programme is also exploring route and frequency of administration.

Injectable VK2735

The subcutaneous version of VK2735 is the most advanced.

Following earlier clinical research, Viking launched the Phase 3 VANQUISH programme.

Two major trials form the programme:

VANQUISH-1 investigates adults with obesity or overweight.

VANQUISH-2 investigates adults with obesity or overweight who also have type 2 diabetes.

Both trials are designed to investigate once-weekly subcutaneous VK2735 over 78 weeks.

Enrollment in both studies has now been completed.

What Did Earlier VK2735 Research Find?

The Phase 2 VENTURE study investigated weekly subcutaneous VK2735.

Researchers observed dose-dependent changes in body weight over the 13-week treatment period.

These results supported progression into the substantially larger Phase 3 VANQUISH programme.

But another part of the development programme has attracted considerable attention.

Researchers have also created an oral tablet containing VK2735.

Oral VK2735

Developing oral metabolic compounds is an important research area.

VK2735 is particularly unusual because Viking is developing both injectable and tablet formulations around the same active compound.

The oral formulation has already progressed through Phase 2 research.

The VENTURE-Oral study investigated once-daily oral VK2735 over 13 weeks.

Researchers reported dose-dependent changes in body weight, with the highest studied dose producing a mean reduction of 12.2% from baseline after 13 weeks.

The study also examined safety and tolerability.

Viking subsequently announced plans to move the oral formulation into Phase 3 development.

Why Having the Same Molecule in Two Formats Is Interesting

Developing injectable and oral versions of the same compound creates several research possibilities.

Rather than switching between completely different active molecules, researchers can potentially investigate whether participants can move between formulations of the same compound.

For example, one future research strategy could involve an injectable formulation during one phase followed by an oral formulation during another.

Whether such approaches ultimately prove effective requires controlled research.

But scientifically, having the same active molecule available in two delivery formats creates unusual flexibility.

Could VK2735 Be Administered Less Frequently?

This has become particularly interesting during 2026.

Viking has been investigating whether VK2735’s pharmacokinetic properties could support administration schedules extending beyond conventional weekly dosing.

A maintenance study investigated several strategies after an initial period of weekly administration.

Researchers examined transitions to:

every-other-week administration

and

monthly administration

among other approaches.

The objective was to determine how much of the previously observed change could be maintained when administration became less frequent.

New 2026 Maintenance Research

In September 2026, Viking announced results from this maintenance study.

During the initial weekly phase, researchers reported a 22% placebo-adjusted change in body weight at Week 33 in the studied 17.5 mg group.

Participants were subsequently transitioned to different maintenance schedules.

According to the company’s topline results, some every-other-week groups maintained up to 97% of their previous change, while some monthly groups maintained up to 90% during the 12-week maintenance period.

These are preliminary company-reported research findings and require appropriate interpretation within the study design.

But they introduce an interesting new research question:

Does long-term metabolic pharmacology necessarily require the same administration frequency used during the initial phase?

Why Maintenance Research Matters

Much metabolic research focuses on achieving an initial biological response.

Long-term maintenance is a different scientific problem.

Researchers need to understand what happens after the initial phase.

Questions include:

• how frequently receptor activation is required
• whether pharmacological effects persist between administrations
• how the compound’s half-life influences maintenance
• whether lower exposure can maintain previous changes
• how tolerability changes with different schedules

This makes maintenance pharmacology an increasingly important research field of its own.

Pharmacokinetics Could Become a Competitive Research Area

Pharmacokinetics describes how a compound behaves within the body over time.

This includes its:

absorption

distribution

metabolism

and

elimination

For long-acting compounds, half-life becomes particularly important.

A longer pharmacokinetic profile may allow researchers to investigate wider intervals between administrations.

This doesn’t automatically mean that less frequent administration will work.

That has to be established experimentally.

But VK2735 demonstrates why researchers are increasingly paying attention not simply to which receptor a compound targets, but also how long its activity can be maintained.

Oral Maintenance Is Another Research Question

Viking is also investigating oral VK2735 within the broader maintenance strategy.

This introduces another possibility.

Rather than simply comparing injection with tablet administration, researchers can examine whether the formulations could potentially play different roles at different stages.

The company has indicated plans for further research into oral maintenance approaches.

This could make VK2735 an interesting test case for multi-format metabolic pharmacology.

Why VK2735 Is Worth Following

VK2735 isn’t scientifically interesting simply because it targets GLP-1 and GIP receptors.

That receptor combination is already established as an important area of metabolic research.

What makes the programme distinctive is the attempt to combine:

dual-receptor agonism

with

injectable and oral formulations

and potentially

weekly, every-other-week or monthly maintenance strategies.

This represents a broader change occurring within metabolic research.

The question is no longer simply:

“Which receptor should researchers target?”

Increasingly, scientists are also asking:

“How should that receptor activity be delivered and maintained over time?”

The ongoing VANQUISH programme and future oral Phase 3 research should provide considerably more evidence about VK2735.

For researchers following emerging metabolic compounds, that makes VK2735 one of the programmes worth watching closely through 2027.

Research Notice: VK2735 is an investigational compound and has not been approved for general medical use. Clinical findings discussed here relate to controlled research settings. This article is for scientific and educational information only and does not provide medical advice, treatment recommendations or dosing guidance.