Exciting trends are sweeping through the biotech industry. One of them is the race to develop breakthrough weight loss medicines, an area that is projected to grow by leaps and bounds through the end of the decade. Gene editing, a set of techniques that are allowing researchers to unlock therapies for diseases that have been untouchable, is another one.

Companies, particularly relatively small ones that make breakthroughs in these fields, could deliver market-crushing returns through 2030. Let's consider two candidates along those lines.

The leaders in the weight area are Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, the two largest pharmaceutical companies worldwide by market capitalization. Many other giants in the industry, including Pfizer, Amgen, and AstraZeneca, are also looking to make a mark in this market. However, Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ: VKTX), a mid-cap biotech, could become a serious challenger. Viking rose to stardom earlier this year after it released strong results from a phase 2 clinical trial for its leading anti-obesity candidate, VK2735.

Continue reading

Source Fool.com