Benzinga | Jun 24, 2021 07:09AM EDT

Viking Therapeutics Announces Initiation of Phase 1b Clinical Trial of VK0214 in Patients with X-ALD

Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (Viking) (NASDAQ:VKTX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapies for metabolic and endocrine disorders, today announced the initiation of a Phase 1b clinical trial of VK0214, a novel small molecule agonist of the thyroid hormone receptor beta (TR?), in patients with X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD). The study is open to enrollment at clinical sites within the United States.

The Phase 1b trial is a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in adult male patients with the adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN) form of X-ALD. The study is initially targeting enrollment across three cohorts: placebo, VK0214 20 mg daily, and VK0214 40 mg daily. Pending a blinded review of preliminary safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic data, additional dosing cohorts may be pursued.