Viking Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the development of therapies for metabolic and endocrine disorders. Its lead clinical program includes VK0612, an orally available drug candidate for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The company is also developing VK5211, an orally available drug candidate, which has completed Phase I trial for the treatment of cancer cachexia, a disease characterized by an uncontrolled decline in muscle mass. In addition, it is developing VK0214, a novel liver-selective thyroid hormone receptor beta agonist for lipid disorders, such as dyslipidemia and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, as well as other preclinical programs for metabolic diseases and anemia. Viking Therapeutics, Inc. was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.