EXHIBIT 23.1 Consent of Independent Accountants We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statements on Form S-8 (File Nos. 333-15187, 333-56189, 333-74805, 333-94725, 333-54696 and 333-76680) and the Registration Statements on Form S-3 (File Nos. 333-81745, 333-54850, 333-62730 and 333-71808) of Triangle Pharmaceuticals, Inc. of our report dated February 8, 2002 relating to the financial statements, which appears in this Form 10-K. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading "Selected Financial Data." /s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Raleigh, North Carolina March 22, 2002