Eleven Rigel Product Candidate Presentations at 2009 ASH Meeting

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Dec. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: RIGL) today announced that eleven presentations on preclinical studies of the company's product candidates will be given at the upcoming American Society of Hematology (ASH) Meeting and Exposition in New Orleans, Louisiana from December 5-8, 2009. Rigel's R788, an oral Syk kinase inhibitor, will be discussed in two oral presentations by collaborators about its activity in distinct B-cell lymphoma models. In addition, Rigel's partner, Merck Serono, will discuss R763/AS703569, an Aurora kinase inhibitor discovered by Rigel, in two presentations.

On Monday, December 7, investigators from the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center at the University of Rochester will present results of preclinical studies of R788 in rational combinations with currently available therapies for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Some of these results suggest possible additive activity when R788 is combined with these conventional agents, indicating that future clinical research with these combinations is warranted.

Oral Presentations

Rational Combinations Including a Novel Syk Inhibitor, Fostamatinib Disodium (FosD) in Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma

December 7, 2009: 7:00 AM

Oral Session: Lymphoma

The Transcriptional Signature of Kinases Inhibited by the Multi-Targeted Kinase Inhibitor AS703569 is Associated with Clinical Outcome in Multiple Myeloma (MM): Anti-MM Activity of AS703569 in Preclinical Studies

December 7, 2009: 5:15 PM

Oral Session: Molecular Pharmacology, Drug Resistance

The Syk Inhibitor R788 (FosD) Inhibits Tumor Growth in the TCL1 Transgenic Mouse Model of CLL by Blocking Antigen-Dependent BCR Signaling

Tuesday, December 8, 2009: 8:30 AM

Oral Session: CLL - Therapy, excluding Transplantation

Poster Presentations

Spleen Tyrosine Kinase Inhibition Prevents Chemokine- and Integrin-Mediated Stromal Protective Effects in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

December 6, 2009, 6:00-8:00 PM

Poster Session: CLL - Biology and Pathophysiology, # II-333

Transcriptional Repression of DAPK1 Characterizes a Resistant Phenotype of AML Enforced by Flt3 Signaling and Exclusive Nuclear Abundance of Non-Canonical NFkB2/p52: Synergistic Activity for Flt3 Inhibition along with HDAC Inhibition, or by NFkB Inhibition, for Potentiating ER Stress Apoptosis

December 6, 2009, 6:00-8:00 PM

Poster Session: Disordered Gene Expression in Hematologic Malignancy, # II-364

PTEN Regulates SYK-Directed AKT Activation in MCL

December 6, 2009, 6:00-8:00 PM

Poster Session: Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma - Biology, # II-917

Antitumor Activity of Small-Molecule SYK Inhibitor R788 and Fludarabinin Mono- and Combined Therapy in a Human B-CLL Xenograft Model

December 6, 2009, 6:00-8:00 PM

Poster Session: CLL - Therapy, # II-355

Tyrosine Kinase Proteins profiling of Nilotinib Resistant Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Cells Unravels a Tyrosine Kinase-Mediated Bypass

December 6, 2009, 6:00-8:00 PM

Poster Session: Chronic Myeloid Leukemia - Biology and Pathophysiology, # II-152

Role of Spleen Tyrosine Kinase Signaling in Early B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

December 7, 2009, 6:00-8:00 PM

Poster Session: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia - Therapy, # III-29

Efficacy of R723, a Potent and Selective JAK2 Inhibitor, in JAK2 V617F-Induced Murine MPD Model

December 7, 2009, 6:00-8:00 PM

Poster Session: Myeloproliferative Syndromes, # III-833

Activity of Serono-AS703569, a Dual Inhibitor of Bcr-Abl and Aurora Kinases in Bcr-Abl Transformed Cells, is Dependent on Aurora B Inhibition, and Is Not affected by the Presence of the Highly Imatinib Resistant Bcr-Abl Mutation T3151

December 7, 2009, 6:00-8:00 PM

Poster Session: Chronic Myeloid Leukemia - Biology and Pathophysiology, # III-184

About Rigel

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.