Ligand licenses five programs to Viking Therapeutics

US drugmaker Ligand Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: LGND) has out-licensed rights to five programs to Viking Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel, first-in-class or best-in-class therapies for metabolic and endocrine disorders.

The therapeutic programs covered in the license agreement include Ligand's FBPase inhibitor program for type 2 diabetes, a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) program for muscle wasting, a thyroid hormone receptor-beta (TRβ) agonist program for dyslipidemia, an erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) agonist program for anemia, and an enterocyte-directed diacylglycerol acyltransferase-1 (DGAT-1) Inhibitor program for dyslipidemia. The FBPase Inhibitor program was the subject of an option originally granted to Viking in 2012.

Each licensed program includes a fee to be paid to Ligand in Viking equity at the time of a private or public financing, milestone payments and royalties on future net sales. Viking is responsible for all development activities under the license. Further financial terms were not disclosed