Rigel to Host Conference Call to Discuss Results of Its Phase 2b TASKi2 Clinical Trial of R788 in Rheumatoid Arthritis

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., July 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: RIGL) today announced that the Company plans to host a conference call on Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 8:00 am EDT (5:00 am PDT). Members of Rigel's senior management team and the principal investigator of the trial will discuss results of the Company's Phase 2b TASKi2 clinical trial of R788 in rheumatoid arthritis, the Company's plans for further development and related matters.

Conference Call and Webcast Information

To access the live call, please dial 866-543-6408 (domestic) or 617-213-8899 (international) 10 minutes prior to the start time and use the passcode 40038100. A replay of the call will be available at approximately 11:30 a.m. EDT on July 9, 2009 until July 16, 2009. To access the replay, please dial 888-286-8010 (domestic) or 617-801-6888 (international) and use the passcode 48864759. The conference call will also be webcast live and can be accessed from Rigel's website at http://www.rigel.com. Please connect to Rigel's website several minutes prior to the start of the live webcast to ensure adequate time for any software downloads that may be necessary.

About Rigel (www.rigel.com)

Rigel is a clinical-stage drug development company that discovers and develops novel, small molecule drugs for the treatment of inflammatory/autoimmune diseases and metabolic diseases. Our pioneering research focuses on intracellular signaling pathways and related targets that are critical to disease mechanisms. Rigel's productivity has resulted in strategic collaborations with large pharmaceutical partners to develop and market our product candidates. Rigel has product development programs in inflammatory/autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, thrombocytopenia and asthma, as well as in cancer.

    Contact: Raul Rodriguez
    Phone: 650.624.1302
    Email: invrel@rigel.com

    Media Contact: Susan C. Rogers, Alchemy Consulting, Inc.
    Phone: 650.430.3777
    Email: susan@alchemyemail.com

SOURCE Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Released July 8, 2009