Peptide & Experimental

VK2735

Dual GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonist, investigational drug · VK-2735, oral VK2735

VK2735 comes from Viking Therapeutics: a substance from the same class as tirzepatide that activates the receptors for GLP-1 and GIP at the same time and is being developed as a weekly injection and as a tablet. In the published phase 2 trial VENTURE, body weight fell by up to 14.7 percent in just 13 weeks. The large phase 3 trials run until 2027; VK2735 is not approved anywhere.

What VK2735 is

VK2735 is a peptide that mimics two gut hormones: GLP-1 and GIP. Both are released after eating and influence satiety, gastric emptying and insulin release. The principle is already approved as a medicine with tirzepatide and well studied; VK2735 is a separate molecule with the same target.

The dual approach is notable: the same molecule is being developed both as a once-weekly injection and as a tablet. An effective tablet would be a real gain for many people who dislike injections.

How it works

Via the GLP-1 receptor, VK2735 delays gastric emptying and strengthens the feeling of satiety and insulin release after meals. The GIP receptor also acts on insulin and appetite regulation. For tirzepatide, this dual approach is established in large human trials.

For VK2735, the chain of effects in humans has been measured through weight loss. Published data on pharmacokinetics, body composition and metabolic values beyond weight are sparse so far.

What is well supported

Rapid, dose-dependent weight loss. In VENTURE, those treated lost 9.1 to 14.7 percent of their body weight in 13 weeks, that is 9.2 to 14.6 kg; on placebo it was 1.7 percent. All dose groups lowered weight significantly more than placebo.
Almost everyone responded. 93 percent of those treated, 130 of 140, lost at least 5 percent of their body weight, compared with 4 of 34 on placebo.
A known mechanism of action. Dual GLP-1/GIP agonism is established with tirzepatide in large human approval trials. VK2735 builds on a proven path.
A large phase 3 program. The trials VANQUISH 1 and 2, with around 4,500 and 1,100 participants, are testing the injection over 78 weeks, without and with type 2 diabetes.

What the studies show

VENTURE: 13 weeks of injections

Bays 2026 (Obesity) describes the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial in adults with obesity or overweight and at least one weight-related comorbidity; people with diabetes were excluded. It ran from August 2023 to February 2024. The primary endpoint, the percentage change in body weight after 13 weeks, was met in all dose groups: from minus 9.1 percent at the lowest to minus 14.7 percent at the highest dose, compared with minus 1.7 percent on placebo.

The most common side effects concerned the gastrointestinal tract and were reported less often once the target dose had been reached. The abstract does not give specific rates or discontinuation figures. The trial was conducted by Viking Therapeutics.

VENTURE-Oral: the tablet

According to the registry, the phase 2 trial of the tablet form (280 participants, 13 weeks) has been completed since August 2025. Results were presented by the manufacturer at a conference but have neither appeared in a journal nor been posted in the registry. We therefore give no figures on it.

VANQUISH: what phase 3 is meant to clarify

VANQUISH 1 is studying the injection in around 4,500 people without type 2 diabetes, VANQUISH 2 in around 1,100 people with type 2 diabetes, each over 78 weeks with the percentage change in body weight as the main outcome. Both trials are no longer recruiting; the registry lists primary completion for July 2027.

Where the data stop

Only 13 weeks published. The only peer-reviewed efficacy trial lasted a quarter of a year. Whether the weight curve keeps falling or flattens out will only be shown by phase 3.
Few safety data. The abstract describes the side effects only qualitatively. Rates, discontinuations and rare events cannot be derived from 13 weeks in 140 treated participants.
The tablet. There is no peer-reviewed publication on the oral form.
Comparison with tirzepatide. A head-to-head comparison is missing. Figures from 13 weeks cannot be equated with 72-week trials of other substances.
Products from the gray market. The trial data apply to the investigational drug, not to products of unclear origin offered under this name.

Status, approval and legal

VK2735 is an investigational drug and not approved anywhere in the world. In Germany it is not a marketable medicine and is available only in clinical trials. The phase 3 trials are due to reach primary completion in 2027; only after that is an application for approval possible.

In sport, VK2735, as a substance not approved anywhere, falls under class S0 of the WADA Prohibited List 2026 and is banned at all times. We do not give dosages for unapproved substances.

Safety

The published data mainly describe gastrointestinal complaints that became less frequent after dose escalation. This matches what is known from this drug class.

Beyond that, the safety picture is simply still thin: 13 weeks, around 140 treated participants, no published rates. Whether VK2735 behaves like tirzepatide with regard to long-term and rare risks will have to be shown by the phase 3 trials.

BK-Score Thin human evidence

Human evidence		5
Mechanism		8
Safety data		3
Hype gap		3
Track record of use		2

Evidence 5, because exactly one randomized, placebo-controlled trial has been published, the phase 2 trial VENTURE with 174 analyzed participants over only 13 weeks: 9.1 to 14.7 percent weight loss compared with 1.7 percent on placebo (Bays 2026); the tablet trial VENTURE-Oral has been completed but has not appeared in a journal, and the phase 3 VANQUISH trials run until 2027. Mechanism 8, because dual GLP-1 and GIP agonism is well established in humans through tirzepatide and VK2735 shows the expected effect on weight; not 9, because molecule-specific human data on pharmacology and body composition have barely been published. Safety 3, because only 13 weeks in around 140 treated participants are available and the abstract merely describes the side effects as predominantly gastrointestinal and less frequent after dose escalation, without giving rates or discontinuations. Hype 3, because VK2735 is often mentioned in the same breath as tirzepatide, even though the basis for comparison is a 13-week trial and unpublished tablet data. Use 2, because the substance is used only in trials. Direction positive: all dose groups lowered weight markedly more than placebo.

The score rates the state of knowledge, not the substance. “Safety data 9” means well studied – not harmless.
Subjective assessment by Biohacking Kompakt based on published scoring rules – not a scientific rating and not a medical recommendation. Rules and all ratings (German)

Frequently asked questions about VK2735

What is VK2735?

VK2735 is a dual GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonist from Viking Therapeutics, so it belongs to the same drug class as tirzepatide. It is being developed as a weekly injection and as a tablet and is not yet approved anywhere.

How much weight do people lose with VK2735?

In the phase 2 trial VENTURE, body weight fell by 9.1 to 14.7 percent in 13 weeks, compared with 1.7 percent on placebo. 93 percent of those treated lost at least 5 percent. Longer-term data are still pending.

Is VK2735 better than tirzepatide?

That cannot be said. There is no head-to-head comparison, and the only published VK2735 trial lasted 13 weeks, whereas the tirzepatide approval trials ran for more than a year.

Is VK2735 available as a tablet?

The tablet form was tested in a phase 2 trial with 280 participants over 13 weeks. So far the results have only been presented by the manufacturer and have not appeared in a journal.

When will VK2735 come onto the market?

According to the registry, the phase 3 trials VANQUISH 1 and 2 are due to reach primary completion in July 2027. Approval is only possible after that. In Germany, VK2735 is currently not available.

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Sources

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Information only, not medical advice and not a usage or dosage recommendation. Prescription-only and unapproved substances belong in the hands of a physician. Last updated: 2026-10-07.