Viking Therapeutics (VKTX) 8-KViking Therapeutics Announces Pricing of $550 Million Public Offering of Common Stock

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): February 28, 2024

Viking Therapeutics, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

9920 Pacific Heights Blvd, Suite 350, San Diego, California 92121

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (858) 704-4660

N/A

(Former Name, or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. 

Item 1.01. Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

On February 28, 2024, Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Leerink Partners LLC (the “Representatives”), as representatives of the several underwriters named therein (the “Underwriters”), relating to an underwritten public offering (the “Offering”) of 6,471,000 shares of the Company’s common stock (“Common Stock”). The public offering price is $85.00 per share of Common Stock and the Underwriters have agreed to purchase the Common Stock pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement at a price of $80.305705 per share. Under the terms of the Underwriting Agreement, the Company also granted to the Underwriters an option, exercisable in whole or in part at any time for a period of 30 days from the date of the Underwriting Agreement, to purchase up to an additional 970,650 shares of Common Stock at the public offering price.

The Offering is being made pursuant to the Company’s automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-273460), previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on July 26, 2023 and which automatically became effective upon filing, a base prospectus dated July 26, 2023 and a prospectus supplement dated February 28, 2024.

Gross proceeds from the Offering will be approximately $550.0 million (excluding any sale of shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares), before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated Offering expenses payable by the Company. The Company currently intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering for continued development of its VK2809, VK2735 and VK0214 programs and for general research and development, working capital and general corporate purposes. The purchase and sale of the Common Stock, and the closing of the Offering, is expected to take place on or about March 4, 2024, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

The Underwriting Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and covenants made by the Company. It also provides for customary indemnification by each of the Company and the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, for losses or damages arising out of or in connection with the Offering, including for liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, other obligations of the parties and termination provisions. In addition, pursuant to the terms of the Underwriting Agreement, each of the Company’s directors and executive officers have entered into “lock-up” agreements with the Representatives that generally prohibit, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, the sale, transfer or other disposition of securities of the Company prior to May 28, 2024.

The foregoing description of the Underwriting Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the copy of the Underwriting Agreement, which is filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K. A copy of the opinion of Paul Hastings LLP, counsel to the Company, relating to the validity of the shares of Common Stock to be issued in the Offering is filed with this Current Report on Form 8-K as Exhibit 5.1.

The representations, warranties and covenants contained in the Underwriting Agreement were made only for purposes of such agreement and as of specific dates, were solely for the benefit of the parties to the Underwriting Agreement, and may be subject to limitations agreed upon by the contracting parties. Accordingly, the Underwriting Agreement is incorporated herein by reference only to provide investors with information regarding the terms of the Underwriting Agreement, and not to provide investors with any other factual information regarding the Company or its business, and should be read in conjunction with the disclosures in the Company’s periodic reports and other filings with the SEC.

Forward-Looking Statements

This Current Report on Form 8-K contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, such as statements related to the anticipated closing of the Offering and the anticipated use of proceeds from the Offering. The risks and uncertainties involved include the Company’s ability to satisfy certain conditions to closing the Offering on a timely basis or at all, market and other conditions, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company’s periodic reports and other filings with the SEC. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which are based on the Company’s current expectations and assumptions and speak only as of the date of this Current Report on Form 8-K. The Company does not intend to revise or update any forward-looking statement in this Current Report on Form 8-K as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Item 8.01. Other Events.

On February 28, 2024, the Company issued a press release announcing the pricing of the Offering. A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.