The search for more treatment options in obesity and type 2 diabetes is moving quickly. An oral medicine that acts on both the GLP-1 and GIP pathways could eventually offer another way for some people to receive incretin-based treatment. That possibility is why Viking Therapeutics’ announcement that oral VK2735 has moved into Phase 3 research has drawn attention.

But “has entered Phase 3” and “has been proven to improve health” are very different statements.

The company’s October 2026 announcement describes two planned, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 68-week trials of once-daily oral VK2735. One is intended for adults with obesity or overweight and type 2 diabetes. The other is intended for adults without type 2 diabetes who have obesity or overweight plus a weight-related condition.

That design is a meaningful next step. It also means the most important Phase 3 answers have not yet arrived.

What Phase 3 is designed to find out

Clinical trials generally move in stages. Earlier studies often focus on dosing, side effects, and preliminary signals. As the FDA explains in its clinical-research overview, larger Phase 3 trials are designed to test whether a treatment’s benefits and risks hold up in more people over a longer time and under a prespecified protocol.

For VK2735, the company says the planned oral studies will compare several daily doses with placebo and target approximately 560 participants each. The primary outcome is percentage change in body weight after 68 weeks. The program also plans to examine safety, tolerability, and additional efficacy outcomes.

The ClinicalTrials.gov record for SUNRISE-1 independently confirms a 68-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 study of daily oral VK2735. As of its October 16 update, SUNRISE-1 was listed as not yet recruiting, with no posted results and an estimated primary-completion date in July 2028. That specific study excludes people with type 2 diabetes; the companion type 2 diabetes trial described in the company announcement is therefore especially important for readers looking for diabetes-specific evidence.

The announcement can accurately tell us what researchers intend to study. It cannot tell us yet whether the medicine will improve glucose in people with type 2 diabetes, reduce cardiovascular or kidney events, be safe for long-term use, remain tolerable at different doses, or receive regulatory approval.

Why an oral option could matter—and why it may not fit everyone

For some people, a daily tablet could be more acceptable or practical than an injection. Preferences about needles, travel, storage, privacy, daily routines, and prior treatment experience are legitimate parts of medication choice. More delivery options could eventually make it easier for clinicians and patients to find a treatment plan that fits.

Oral does not automatically mean simpler, safer, less expensive, or more effective. A tablet can still have dosing instructions, drug interactions, side effects, cost barriers, insurance restrictions, and reasons it may not be suitable for a particular person. It can also be harder for some people to take a medicine every day consistently than to use a longer-acting treatment.

The company reported earlier Phase 2 results in obesity, including weight reduction and mostly mild-to-moderate reported treatment-emergent adverse events. Gastrointestinal symptoms were the most common. Those findings help explain why Phase 3 is happening, but they do not establish the future results of the oral program—particularly in adults with type 2 diabetes, over 68 weeks, or at the final dose strategies.

The company’s own release also includes the appropriate caution that prior clinical findings may not be replicated and that development, regulatory, and timing risks remain. That is normal for an investigational medicine. It is also why patients should not treat a pipeline announcement as a reason to delay current care or seek a product outside a legitimate clinical trial.

Weight loss is not the same as diabetes remission

Clinical trials often measure body-weight change because it is an important health outcome for many people and can influence metabolic risk. However, a percentage change in body weight is not the same as type 2 diabetes remission. It does not tell us whether someone has met an accepted remission definition, whether glucose is below the diabetes range without glucose-lowering medication for a sustained period, or whether benefits will persist.

For people with type 2 diabetes, the questions go beyond weight. What happens to HbA1c and other measures of glycemia? What is the risk of low blood glucose when the drug is combined with other therapies? What happens to blood pressure, lipids, kidney function, lean mass, gastrointestinal symptoms, and quality of life? Which people benefit most, and which need a different approach?

Phase 3 can help answer some of those questions, but it will not answer them until complete results are analyzed, reported, reviewed, and placed in the context of other evidence. A favorable result in a trial is also not a guarantee of an individual outcome in real-world care.

The value of research is choice, not hype

It is reasonable to be hopeful about research that aims to expand choices. More options may eventually make it possible to better match treatment to a person’s goals, medical history, affordability, and preferences. The most responsible way to follow the VK2735 story is to stay curious without assuming an outcome.

A useful question for any new diabetes or obesity medication headline is: What is known today, and what has not yet been tested? In this case, we know that an oral GLP-1/GIP candidate is moving into Phase 3 studies, that one planned trial involves adults with type 2 diabetes who are overweight or have obesity, and that Phase 3 is designed to evaluate efficacy and safety more rigorously. We do not have Phase 3 results, a completed long-term evidence base, an approval decision, or a clear picture of eventual access.

At Diabetes Reversal Group, we welcome research that may broaden safe, evidence-based options. We also believe no medication—new or familiar—replaces whole-person care. Food, movement, sleep, stress support, relationships, clinical monitoring, and clinician-directed medication can all matter at the same time. Some people may work toward type 2 diabetes remission through sustained changes and medical follow-up. Remission is not a cure, and medication decisions should always reflect individual needs.

The most important takeaway is not that an oral pill will solve type 2 diabetes. It is that good research may eventually create more choices—and choice works best when it comes with honest evidence, practical support, and ongoing care.

By: Dr. Jeffrey Hockings, CEO/Founder & Kristine Burke, MD, Chief Medical Officer

This article is educational and does not replace individualized medical care. VK2735 is an investigational candidate, not a currently established treatment recommendation. Do not start, stop, or change diabetes or weight-management medication because of a clinical-trial announcement without guidance from the clinician managing your care.