press release archive

Rigel to Present at the Rodman & Renshaw Techvest Global Healthcare Conference on May 13, 2004

South San Francisco, CA - May 06, 2004

Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: RIGL) will present at the Rodman & Renshaw Techvest Global Healthcare Conference on Thursday May 13th at 12:20 p.m. (London time) at Claridge’s Hotel in London. Raul R. Rodriguez, senior vice president for business development and commercial operations, will describe Rigel’s clinical trials addressing allergy and hepatitis C, and will discuss the company’s current plans to initiate clinical development for at least one new indication each year.

To access the live audio webcast or the subsequent archived recording, log on to www.rigel.com/rigel/events. Please connect to Rigel's website several minutes prior to the start of the conference call to ensure adequate time for any software download that may be necessary.

About Rigel (www.rigel.com)
Rigel's mission is to become a source of novel, small-molecule drugs to address large, unmet medical needs. We have initiated three 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 expects to begin clinical trials of R406 for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis by the end of 2004, to be followed by clinical trials for drug candidates in asthma and oncology.

This press release contains “forward-looking” statements, including statements related to Rigel’s plans to pursue clinical development of product candidates and the timing thereof and the potential efficacy of product 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