Hubert C. Chen

Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company Viking Therapeutics has appointed Hubert C. Chen, M.D., as its new Chief Medical Officer. 

In this role, Dr. Chen will report directly to President and Chief Executive Officer Brian Lian, Ph.D., and will lead the company's clinical development, medical, and regulatory affairs functions as Viking advances its pipeline of therapies for metabolic and endocrine disorders.

Dr. Chen joins Viking with more than 20 years of leadership experience across drug discovery, clinical development, regulatory strategy, and product commercialization. Throughout his career, he has played a key role in advancing innovative therapies across multiple therapeutic areas and guiding products through regulatory approval processes.

Before joining Viking Therapeutics, Dr. Chen served as Chief Research and Development Officer at Loyal Animal Health, where he led the first FDA-negotiated effectiveness and safety framework for longevity therapeutics. He previously held executive leadership positions as President and Chief Scientific Officer at Forte Biosciences, Chief Medical Officer at Metacrine, and Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at Pfenex. During his tenure at Pfenex, he developed the clinical and regulatory strategy for Bonsity, a drug-device combination for high-risk osteoporosis that secured regulatory approvals in both the United States and the European Union.

Earlier in his career, Dr. Chen led obesity and type 2 diabetes programs at Amylin Pharmaceuticals, contributing to the development of combination therapies involving GLP-1, GIP, and amylin analogs.

Dr. Chen earned his medical degree from Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, completed his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, and his endocrinology fellowship at University of California, San Francisco. He also holds an undergraduate degree from Stanford University and serves as an affiliate faculty member at University of California, San Diego.