Key Takeaways
- Viking Therapeutics and Ligand Pharmaceuticals are facing a dispute over their TRβ collaboration.
- Ligand claims Viking breached their agreement regarding the development of two significant therapies, VK0214 and VK2809.
- Viking is currently focusing on its lead obesity program, while denying Ligand’s termination of the TRβ program.
Viking and Ligand’s Troubled Collaboration
Viking Therapeutics and Ligand Pharmaceuticals, partners since 2014, are embroiled in a dispute concerning their collaboration on thyroid hormone receptor-β (TRβ) programs. Initially, Viking licensed five programs from Ligand, including VK0214, intended for treating dyslipidemia. VK0214 recently progressed into the clinic, showing promising results in a 2024 phase 1 study, which indicated significant reductions in plasma levels of very long-chain fatty acids.
Another project from this collaboration, VK2809, has garnered more attention after Viking reported in 2023 that it successfully completed a phase 2 trial for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Following this success, Ligand received a $10 million milestone payment and discussed plans for VK2809 to advance into phase 3 trials for fatty liver disease. If approved, Ligand would secure a royalty from future worldwide sales, ranging between 3.5% to 7.5%.
Despite these advancements, the future of these therapies appears uncertain. In its recent quarterly earnings release, Viking did not emphasize VK0214 or VK2809, instead prioritizing its lead obesity program, VK2735, which is moving into phase 3 trials for both subcutaneous and oral formulations.
Amid these developments, Ligand has accused Viking of “materially breaching” its contractual obligations to develop the TRβ programs. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 30, Ligand announced its intent to terminate the TRβ program licenses for VK0214 and VK2809. Ligand is seeking to assume control of the development and marketing rights, offering Viking a “royalty rate of low single digits” in return.
Viking, however, disputes Ligand’s actions, asserting that the termination is unwarranted. Ligand has expressed its determination to enforce its rights under the existing license agreement.
As the situation unfolds, both companies have been contacted for further information on the dispute, highlighting an increasingly complex relationship between the two parties as they navigate their paths in the biopharmaceutical landscape.
The content above is a summary. For more details, see the source article.