In this article VKTX Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTCr | Istock | Getty ImagesBiotech company Viking Therapeutics has emerged as a strong potential entrant — or takeover target — in the budding weight loss drug market. Their treatments sparked the weight loss drug industry gold rush over the past year despite their hefty price tags and barriers to insurance coverage. It's too early to say whether Viking's drug could have an edge over existing or developing weight loss treatments. The pharmaceutical giant could also launch a slate of other weight loss treatments over the next few years that may have advantages over Zepbound, whether they offer more weight loss or convenience. That could give Viking the commercial and manufacturing capabilities needed to compete in the weight loss drug market.

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Persons: Eli Lilly, Eli Lilly's Zepbound, Viking, Goldman Sachs, Eli Lilly’s, Brendan Mcdermid, GLP, Brian Lian, William Blair, Andy Hsieh, Hsieh, Eli Lilly's, Jefferies, Akash Tewari, doesn't, Mike Segar, Lian, William Blair's Hsieh, Oppenheimer, Jay Olson Organizations: Getty Images Biotech, Viking Therapeutics, Novo Nordisk, Reuters, Viking, Novo, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Company, Deutsche Bank, CNBC Locations: New York City, Branchburg , New Jersey