** Shares of drug developer Viking Therapeutics VKTX.O fall 8% to $30.82 premarket

** Co reported quarterly earnings in Wednesday, in which it also said its late-stage trial for the subcutaneous or under-the-skin version of experimental obesity drug VK2735 will start in Q2

** Investors were hoping for some meaningful developments, but the updates were mostly incremental, which sent shares lower - brokerage J.P.Morgan

** J.P.Morgan and another brokerage Oppenheimer say update was largely inline with expectations, although some investors were anticipating an earlier trial initiation

** Shares more than doubled in 2024

(Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru)

((Sriparna.Roy@thomsonreuters.com;))