press release archive

Rigel to Present at the 2nd Annual White Mountain Capital Biotechnology Conference

South San Francisco, CA - April 15, 2004

Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: RIGL) will present at the White Mountain Capital Biotechnology Conference on Thursday, April 22nd at 1:00 p.m. Eastern at the Rihga Royal Hotel in New York City. Raul R. Rodriguez, senior vice president for business development and commercial operations will describe Rigel’s clinical trials addressing allergy/asthma and hepatitis C, and will discuss the company’s plans to initiate clinical development in the area of rheumatoid arthritis and subsequent indications.

About Rigel (www.rigel.com)
Rigel's mission is to become a source of novel, small-molecule drugs to meet large, unmet medical needs. Rigel has three initial clinical development programs: asthma/allergy, hepatitis C and rheumatoid arthritis. Rigel has begun clinical testing of its first two product candidates, R112 for allergic rhinitis and R803 for hepatitis C, and plans to begin clinical trials of two additional drug candidates, for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and asthma, by the end of 2004.

This press release contains “forward-looking” statements, including statements related to Rigel’s plans to pursue clinical development of drug candidates and the timing thereof and the potential efficacy of drug candidates. Any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Words such as “plans,” “intends,” “expects” and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause Rigel’s results to differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements, including risks associated with the timing and success of clinical trials and the commercialization of product candidates, as well as other risks detailed from time to time in Rigel’s SEC reports, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003. Rigel does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements.

Contact: Jim Welch
Phone: 650.624.1176
Email: invrel@rigel.com