Rigel Appoints Board Member Alison L. Hannah, M.D. as Chief Medical Officer
- Dr. Hannah has decades of oncology drug development experience and has served on Rigel's Board of Directors since 2021
- She has resigned from Rigel's Board of Directors to join the company
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., July 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:RIGL), a commercial stage biotechnology company focused on hematologic disorders and cancer, today announced the appointment of Alison L. Hannah, M.D. to the role of Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Hannah has resigned from Rigel's Board of Directors, effective July 1, 2026, in connection with her appointment. She succeeds Lisa Rojkjaer, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer.
"Alison has been a valued member of Rigel's Board, and we are pleased to welcome her to the executive leadership team as Chief Medical Officer at an exciting time for Rigel. Her deep experience leading oncology clinical development and advancing investigational therapies through the regulatory process will be extremely valuable as we continue to advance our development pipeline, including R289 in lower-risk MDS, vepdegestrant in metastatic breast cancer and other potential opportunities," said Raul Rodriguez, Rigel's president and CEO. "On behalf of the entire Rigel team, I want to sincerely thank Lisa for her dedication and many contributions to the company."
Rigel's leading pipeline asset, R2891, a potent and selective dual inhibitor of interleukin receptor-associated kinases 1 and 4 (IRAK1/4), continues to be advanced in its Phase 1b clinical study evaluating the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary efficacy in patients with relapsed or refractory lower-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Enrollment in the dose expansion phase of the study is ongoing, and Rigel remains on track to complete enrollment and select the recommended Phase 2 dose for future clinical studies in the second half of 2026. The company continues to anticipate sharing preliminary data from the dose expansion phase of the study by the end of 2026. In addition, Rigel is progressing its evaluation of other potential indications to advance R289 and is planning to provide an update later this year.
"I am excited to join Rigel at this important stage in the company's evolution. Having served on Rigel's Board, I have seen firsthand the strength of the team, the scientific rationale behind its programs and the opportunity to advance meaningful new therapies for patients with hematologic disorders and cancer," said Dr. Hannah. "I look forward to working closely with the leadership team to help guide the continued development of R289 and Rigel's broader clinical strategy, including the recent addition of vepdegestrant."
About Dr. Hannah
Alison L. Hannah, M. D. has been appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Rigel. She resigned from Rigel's Board of Directors, which she had served on since May 2021, in connection with her appointment as CMO. Previously, Dr. Hannah has held the roles of Chief Medical Officer of CytomX Therapeutics, where she oversaw clinical development of conditionally activated protein therapeutics, and Senior Medical Director at SUGEN, Inc. (acquired by Pharmacia & Upjohn, now Pfizer), where she had oversight of clinical development, clinical operations, and pharmacovigilance, specializing in the development of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, including sunitinib (SUTENT) approved for the treatment of kidney cancer and imatinib-refractory gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Dr. Hannah has served as a consultant to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry since 2000, directing the development of investigational cancer therapies. In this capacity, Dr. Hannah has successfully filed over 40 regulatory applications for first-in-human clinical testing and has played significant roles in the broad marketing approval of multiple anticancer therapeutics. Dr. Hannah began her career at Quintiles, a global contract research organization, where she specialized in overseeing early to registrational-stage oncology clinical trials. She has served since June 2015 on the Board of Directors for Neogenomics, a cancer diagnostic firm. Dr. Hannah received her B.A. in biochemistry and immunology from Harvard University and her M.D. from the University of St Andrews.
About Rigel
Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:RIGL) is a biotechnology company dedicated to discovering, developing and providing novel therapies that significantly improve the lives of patients with hematologic disorders and cancer. Founded in 1996, Rigel is based in South San Francisco, California. For more information on Rigel, the Company's marketed products and pipeline of potential products, visit www.rigel.com.
- R289 is an investigational compound not approved by the FDA.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 relating to, among other things, Rigel's clinical development plans and the potential of its product candidates, including R289; the anticipated timing of enrollment completion, dose selection and preliminary data from the ongoing Phase 1b clinical study of R289 in patients with relapsed or refractory lower-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS); the evaluation of additional potential indications for R289; the advancement of Rigel's broader development pipeline, including vepdegestrant; and the expected contributions of Dr. Alison L. Hannah as Rigel's Chief Medical Officer. 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 "anticipates," "believes," "expects," "intends," "may," "plans," "potential," "will," and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on Rigel's current beliefs, expectations and assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and, in many cases, are beyond Rigel's control. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, without limitation, risks associated with the timing, progress and results of Rigel's clinical trials; the ability to successfully develop and obtain regulatory approval for product candidates; the availability of funding for development activities; the occurrence of unforeseen safety or efficacy findings; the ability to enroll patients in clinical trials; competition from other therapies; reliance on third parties for clinical development, manufacturing and other services; changes in applicable laws or regulations; and other risks described from time to time in Rigel's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the "Risk Factors" section of Rigel's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Any forward-looking statement in this press release speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Rigel undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release, except as required by law.
Contact for Investors & Media:
Investors:
Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
650.624.1232
ir@rigel.com
Media:
David Rosen
Argot Partners
646.461.6387
david.rosen@argotpartners.com
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SOURCE Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc.