Ligand Pharmaceuticals Announces Second Quarter Results

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:LGND) today announced financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2007 and provided a business update. The Company sold its commercial oncology product line in October 2006 and sold the AVINZA(R) product line in February 2007.

Total revenues for the second quarter of 2007 were $1.4 million, compared with $1.1 million for the second quarter of 2006. Royalty revenues for the 2007 second quarter were $1.4 million, compared with none for the 2006 second quarter. Collaborative research and development and other revenues for the second quarter of 2007 were none, compared with $1.1 million in the second quarter of 2006.

Operating costs and expenses for the second quarter of 2007 were $16.3 million, compared with $19.1 million for the same 2006 period. The decrease was due primarily to the reduction in headcount as a result of our restructuring during the 2007 first quarter. Operating costs and expenses for the second quarter of 2007 include $0.5 million of share-based compensation expense, compared with $1.2 million for the same 2006 period. The loss from continuing operations for the second quarter of 2007 was $7.7 million, or $0.08 per share, compared with a loss from continuing operations of $17.2 million, or $0.22 per share, for the second quarter of 2006. Income from discontinued operations in the second quarter of 2007 was $7.9 million, or $0.08 per diluted share, compared with $1.2 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, in the comparable 2006 quarter.

Net income for the second quarter of 2007 was $0.2 million, or $0.00 per diluted share, compared with a net loss of $16.0 million, or $0.20 per share, in the second quarter of 2006.

As of June 30, 2007, Ligand had cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments and restricted investments of $117 million. In addition, there is approximately $35 million of cash held in escrow and trust accounts to support potential indemnifiable claims by purchasers of our commercial products and certain current and former members of our Board of Directors. In April 2007 the Company paid a cash dividend of $2.50 per share for a total of $252.7 million. In March 2007, the Company's Board of Directors authorized up to $100 million in share repurchases. As of June 30, 2007, the Company had repurchased 3.8 million shares for a total of $25.4 million.

"We face an active and exciting second half of 2007, with both partnered products and proprietary programs," said John L. Higgins, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ligand Pharmaceuticals. "By the end of the year, we may see an NDA filing for treatment of short-term ITP from GlaxoSmithKline for eltrombopag (Promacta), FDA approval for Wyeth's bazedoxifene (Viviant), two NDA filings with this product alone or in combination with conjugated estrogen (Aprela) by Wyeth for other indications, and an NDA filing by Pfizer for lasofoxifene (Oporia). We also expect to complete the Phase I study with LGD-4665 and present preclinical data on LGD-3303."

About Ligand Pharmaceuticals
Ligand discovers and develops new drugs that address critical unmet medical needs of patients with thrombocytopenia, hepatitis C, certain types of cancer, hormone-related diseases, osteoporosis and inflammatory diseases. Ligand's proprietary drug discovery and development programs are based on its leadership position in gene transcription technology, primarily related to intracellular receptors. For more information visit www.ligand.com.

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