VK2735 Australia: What the Research Shows

The short answer

VK2735 is an investigational compound being developed by the United States biotechnology company Viking Therapeutics. It is described in the scientific literature as a dual agonist of two incretin receptors, the glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor and the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor. Viking Therapeutics is studying it in both a subcutaneous (injectable) form and an oral form.

As of 2026, VK2735 is a clinical-stage candidate. It has not been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), it is not listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG), and it is not approved for marketing in any country. In Australia it is handled strictly as a research-use-only material. Nothing here is a claim that it works for any purpose.

What VK2735 is and who makes it

VK2735 is the development code name for a peptide candidate being studied by Viking Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in San Diego, California. The company is developing it as part of a wider pipeline of metabolic candidates.

In technical descriptions, VK2735 is characterised as a single molecule designed to interact with more than one receptor involved in the incretin system. Viking has pursued two separate presentations of the candidate, one delivered by subcutaneous injection and one taken orally. Both forms share the same underlying mechanism concept but are studied in distinct clinical programs.

Because VK2735 is an investigational candidate rather than an approved medicine, it exists at this stage as research material and as the subject of ongoing clinical studies. Any reference to it should be read in that context.

How the dual GIP and GLP-1 mechanism is described

GLP-1 and GIP are two hormones released by the gut that are collectively known as incretins. Each acts on its own receptor. A large body of research has studied molecules that engage the GLP-1 receptor alone, and a separate line of research has looked at molecules designed to engage both the GLP-1 and GIP receptors at the same time.

VK2735 is described as a dual agonist, meaning it is engineered to activate both the GLP-1 receptor and the GIP receptor. Conceptually this is a different design from single-target GLP-1 agonists, which engage only one of the two receptors. The scientific interest in dual activation is in how simultaneously signalling through two incretin pathways may behave differently in laboratory and clinical research compared with single-pathway signalling.

Terms used in the literature

• GLP-1 receptor: one of the two incretin receptors VK2735 is designed to engage.
• GIP receptor: the second incretin receptor targeted in a dual-agonist design.
• Dual agonist: a single molecule intended to activate two receptors.
• Incretin system: the broader hormonal network these receptors belong to.

This section explains terminology only. It is not a statement that any particular effect has been established.

Subcutaneous and oral forms

A notable feature of the VK2735 program is that Viking Therapeutics has advanced both a subcutaneous version and an oral version of the candidate. The subcutaneous form is delivered by injection, while the oral form is designed to be taken by mouth.

According to the company's public communications, having both an injectable and an oral presentation of the same candidate is a point of differentiation within its program. The two forms are evaluated in separate clinical studies rather than as a single combined trial.

Where VK2735 is in clinical development

As of 2026, VK2735 is a clinical-stage candidate with programs running in parallel for the two formulations. Based on Viking Therapeutics' public disclosures, the subcutaneous program has advanced into late-stage (Phase 3) trials, referred to by the company as the VANQUISH studies, which the company has described as fully enrolled and advancing.

The oral program has been studied in a Phase 2 trial that Viking refers to as the VENTURE-Oral Dosing trial, with the company indicating an intention to begin Phase 3 oral dosing studies later in 2026. Viking has also described additional exploratory maintenance-dosing studies of the candidate.

Clinical development is ongoing and the stage of any program can change over time. The figures above reflect how the developer has publicly described the programs and should be treated as a neutral status summary, not as evidence of any outcome. Trial stage does not imply approval.

VK2735 in the context of other incretin candidates

VK2735 is one of several molecules in the broad research field of incretin receptor agonists. Within that field, some compounds are designed to engage a single receptor and others are designed as dual or even triple agonists engaging two or three receptors.

VK2735 belongs to the dual GIP and GLP-1 category by design. Other molecules studied in the same conceptual space include single GLP-1 agonists and other dual-agonist candidates such as tirzepatide, which is also described as engaging both the GIP and GLP-1 receptors. These comparisons are structural and conceptual only.

Regulatory status in Australia

VK2735 has not been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration and is not entered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. It is an investigational candidate still being evaluated in clinical trials and is not approved for marketing as a medicine in Australia or, to the best of available public information, anywhere else.

Because it is not an approved product, VK2735 is not something that can be supplied or represented as a therapeutic good in Australia. In the research setting it is treated purely as a laboratory material for research use only.

What research use only means

Research use only is a classification that describes how a material may be handled. It means the material is intended to be used in laboratory and scientific research contexts and is not intended, labelled or supplied for use in or on humans or animals.

Research use only in practice

• The material is for laboratory and research settings only.
• It is not supplied for human or veterinary use of any kind.
• It is not a medicine, supplement or therapeutic good.
• No dosing, protocol or administration guidance is provided.

NovaPeptides supplies peptide materials strictly under this research-use-only framing. Describing a material this way is a statement about handling and classification, not a claim about any effect it may or may not have.

How NovaPeptides approaches VK2735

Where NovaPeptides references a research peptide such as VK2735, it does so strictly on a research-use-only basis. Materials are positioned for laboratory research only and are never supplied, described or promoted for human or animal use, and no dosing or usage instructions are given.

For transparency on identity and purity, NovaPeptides works with Novagen certificates of analysis (COA) where available, so the paperwork associated with a research material can be reviewed. Shipping is handled within Australia.

If you are researching VK2735, the most reliable primary sources for its development status are the public communications of its developer, Viking Therapeutics. This page summarises that information neutrally and does not add any claim beyond it.

Frequently asked questions