Ligand, Viking Therapeutics deal
Ligand granted Viking Therapeutics exclusive, worldwide rights to five therapeutic programs, including two clinical-stage compounds. The deal includes VK0612 (formerly MB07803), a fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase inhibitor in Phase II testing to treat Type II diabetes; and VK5211 (formerly LGD-4033), a non-steroidal selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) that has completed Phase I testing to treat cancer cachexia. Early next year, Viking plans to start a Phase IIb trial of VK0612 and a Phase II trial of VK5211.
The deal also includes VK0214 (formerly LG0956965), a liver-selective thyroid hormone receptor beta agonist that is in preclinical testing to treat lipid disorders; a portfolio of preclinical small molecule enterocyte-directed diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase-1 (DGAT1) inhibitors to treat lipid disorders; and a portfolio of preclinical small molecule erythropoietin (EPO) receptor agonists to treat anemia. ...