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EXHIBIT 10.17

FIRST AMENDMENT TO COLLABORATION AGREEMENT

    THIS FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE COLLABORATION AGREEMENT (the "Amendment") is
made and entered into effective as of May 18, 2001 (the "Amendment Effective
Date"), by and between RIGEL PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., a Delaware corporation
("Rigel") having its principal place of business at 240 East Grand Avenue, South
San Francisco, CA 94080 and NOVARTIS PHARMA AG, a Swiss corporation
("Novartis"), having its principal place of business at Lichtstrasse 35, CH-4002
Basel, Switzerland.

    WHEREAS, Rigel and Novartis entered into a Collaboration Agreement, made
effective between such Parties as of 26th May, 1999 (the "Collaboration
Agreement") regarding a collaborative research and commercialisation program for
intracellular target molecules useful for treating or preventing human diseases;
and

    WHEREAS, Rigel and Novartis desire to amend Section 2.3 of the Collaboration
Agreement.

    NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and of the covenants
contained herein and in the Agreement, the parties hereto mutually agree as
follows:

    1.  The parties agree to amend the terms of the Collaboration Agreement as
provided below. To the extent that the Collaboration Agreement is explicitly
amended by this Amendment, the terms of the Amendment will control where the
terms of the Collaboration Agreement are contrary to or conflict with the
following provisions. Where the Collaboration Agreement is not explicitly
amended, the terms of the Collaboration Agreement will remain in force.
Capitalized terms used in this Amendment that are not otherwise defined herein
shall have the same meanings as such terms are defined in the Collaboration
Agreement.

    2.  Section 2.3 of the Agreement is hereby replaced and superseded in its
entirety by the following:

    "2.3 Number and Kind of Additional Programs of Research. The parties hereby
acknowledge that the Commencement Date of the T-Cell Project, designated as a
Joint Project, is the Effective Date of this Agreement. Novartis and Rigel
further acknowledge that they have added to this Agreement two (2) additional
Programs of Research prior to the first (1st) anniversary of the Effective Date:
the B-Cell Project, designated as a Joint Project, and the Epithelial Cell
Project, designated as an At-Novartis Project, respectively. Subject to
Section 2.2, the parties will add to the Agreement: (A) one (1) additional
Program of Research, being either (i) a Joint Project in the area of endothelial
cell function in angiogenesis, if such Joint Project has a Commencement Date
prior to July 31, 2001; or, in the event that such Joint Project does not have a
Commencement Date prior to July 31, 2001, then (ii) another Program of Research,
such other Program of Research to have its Commencement Date prior to
November 30, 2001; and (B) a second additional Program of Research to the
Agreement prior to November 30, 2001."

    3.  This Amendment will form an integral part of, and is governed by all
other terms of, the Collaboration Agreement.

    4.  Except as expressly amended hereby, all terms and conditions of the
Collaboration Agreement shall remain unchanged and in full force and effect.

    5.  This Amendment may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of
which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute
one and the same instrument.

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    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have duly executed this Amendment by
their authorised officers as of the date and year first above written.

RIGEL PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.   NOVARTIS PHARMA AG
By:
/s/ Raul Rodriguez

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By:
/s/ C. Asseo /s/ S. Stubs

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Name:
Raul Rodriguez

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Name:
Capucine Asseo S. Stubs

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Title:
VP Business Dev.

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Title:
Legal Counsel BD&L

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FIRST AMENDMENT TO COLLABORATION AGREEMENT