Rigel to Host Conference Call to Discuss Results of Its Phase 2b TASKi3 Clinical Trial of R788 in Rheumatoid Arthritis

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., July 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: RIGL) today announced that the Company plans to host a conference call on Thursday, July 23, 2009 at 7:00 pm EDT (4:00 pm PDT). Members of Rigel's senior management team and the principal investigator of the trial will discuss results of the Company's Phase 2b TASKi3 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 866-700-6293 (domestic) or 1-617-213-8835 (international) 10 minutes prior to the start time and use the passcode 13318888. A replay of the call will be available at approximately 10:00 pm EDT/7:00 pm PDT on July 23, 2009 until July 30, 2009. To access the replay, please dial 888-286-8010 (domestic) or 1-617-801-6888 (international) and use the passcode 14211103. 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 23, 2009