** Shares of obesity drugmakers gain premarket after Pfizer PFE.N says it has discontinued development of experimental weight-loss pill danuglipron

** Eli Lilly LLY.N shares up 1.69% to $744.82 in premarket trading, while U.S. listed shares of Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk NOVOb.CO rise 3.74% to $67.15

** Shares of obesity drug developer Viking Therapeutics VKTX.O jump 19.1% to $26.47, while Altimmune ALT.O rises 2.95% to $4.54

** Pfizer shares down marginally at $21.75 before the bell

** Up to last close, LLY down ~5%, VKTX down ~45%, while ALT down 39% YTD

(Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru)

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