Viking Therapeutics Announces Appointment of Hubert C. Chen, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer

About this update from Viking Therapeutics, Inc.

Experienced Biotech Leader with More than Two Decades of Experience Advancing Therapies from Discovery through Regulatory Approval SAN DIEGO, June 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- 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 appointment of Hubert C. Chen, M.D., as chief medical officer. Dr. Chen brings more than two decades of leadership experience in senior executive roles spanning drug discovery, clinical development, regulatory strategy, and product approvals across multiple therapeutic areas. Dr. Chen will report to Brian Lian, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Viking Therapeutics, and oversee clinical development, medical, and regulatory affairs. "We are thrilled to welcome Hubert to Viking as we move our next-generation therapies through late-stage development and prepare for VK2735's potential commercialization," said Brian Lian, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Viking Therapeutics. "He is an accomplished physician, scientist, and biotechnology executive with an impressive combination of scientific, clinical, regulatory, and operational expertise, along with extensive knowledge of obesity, metabolic disorders, and endocrinology. With multiple clinical programs advancing, this is a critical time to expand Viking's leadership team. Hubert's proven track record and history of developing innovative therapies make him an excellent addition to the team." Prior to joining Viking, Dr. Chen served as chief research and development officer at Loyal Animal Health, where he led the first-ever FDA-negotiated effectiveness and safety requirements for longevity therapeutics. Previously, he was president and chief scientific officer at Forte Biosciences, chief medical officer at Metacrine, and chief scientific and medical officer at Pfenex. At Pfenex, he developed a novel clinical and regulatory strategy for Bonsity, a drug-device combination for high-risk osteoporosis, leading to approvals in the U.S. and E.U. Earlier in his career, Dr. Chen led obesity and type 2 diabetes programs at Amylin Pharmaceuticals, including combinatorial approaches using glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), and amylin analogs. &qu...

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