Exhibit 99.1


CONTACT:

Mr. Andrew Finkle                                Mr. Thomas R. Staab, II
Executive Vice President & General Counsel       Vice President & Treasurer
Triangle Pharmaceuticals, Inc.                   Triangle Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
(919) 493-5980                                   (919) 493-5980
www.tripharm.com                                 www.tripharm.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
- ---------------------
                                TRIANGLE ANNOUNCES FILING OF

                              EMTRICITABINE (COVIRACIL) WITH EMEA

DURHAM, N.C., January 6, 2003 -- Triangle Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: VIRS)
announced today that the Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) for
emtricitabine for the treatment of HIV infection was submitted to the European
Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA) and that the EMEA has
accepted the application for review. Triangle previously submitted a New Drug
Application (NDA) for emtricitabine for the treatment of HIV infection to the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which was accepted for review on
November 1, 2002.

Emtricitabine is a once-a-day nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI).
The tradename for emtricitabine in Europe is under review. In the United States
and other countries, emtricitabine will be marketed under the Coviracil(R)
tradename.

"We are very pleased to have delivered on our earlier commitment to complete the
European filing around the end of 2002," commented Daniel G. Welch, Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer of Triangle. He continued, "We believe, pending
marketing clearance, emtricitabine may offer patients and physicians in Europe
an important new medicine for the management of HIV disease."

The MAA includes data from over 2,000 patients and is supported by two pivotal
trials, FTC-303 and FTC-301. The MAA will be reviewed under the centralized
licensing procedure, which, if approval is granted, provides a marketing license
valid in all member states of the European Community.

On December 4, 2002, Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) and Triangle announced
that they signed a definitive agreement under which Gilead plans to acquire
Triangle. The transaction has been structured as a two-step acquisition
comprised of a cash tender offer for all of the outstanding Triangle common
stock at $6.00 per share, followed by a cash merger in which Gilead would
acquire any remaining outstanding Triangle common stock at $6.00 per share. The
transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of this year, subject to
customary closing conditions.








Triangle Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a specialty pharmaceutical company engaged in
the development of new antiviral drug candidates, with a particular focus on
therapies for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the hepatitis B virus.
Triangle's proprietary drug candidates under development for HIV and/or
hepatitis B include Coviracil (emtricitabine), amdoxovir (formerly DAPD), and
clevudine (formerly L-FMAU). More information about Triangle's portfolio,
management and product development strategy is available on Triangle's website.

STATEMENTS IN THIS PRESS RELEASE THAT ARE NOT HISTORICAL FACTS ARE
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND ARE SUBJECT TO NUMEROUS RISKS AND
UNCERTAINTIES, INCLUDING THE RISK THAT OUR NDA OR MAA MAY NOT RECEIVE
REGULATORY APPROVAL, OR IF APPROVED, MAY NOT ACHIEVE MARKET ACCEPTANCE OR THE
MEDICAL RESULTS WE EXPECT. IN ADDITION, THE ABILITY OF GILEAD AND TRIANGLE TO
CLOSE THE TRANSACTION BY THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2003 WILL DEPEND ON
A NUMBER OF FACTORS OUTSIDE THE PARTIES' CONTROL INCLUDING THE SATISFACTION
OF CLOSING CONDITIONS. THESE AND OTHER RISKS ARE DISCUSSED IN DETAIL FROM
TIME TO TIME IN OUR FILINGS WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION. AS A
RESULT OF THESE AND OTHER RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES, ACTUAL RESULTS MAY DIFFER
MATERIALLY FROM THOSE PREDICTED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE. TRIANGLE DISCLAIMS ANY
OBLIGATIONS TO UPDATE ANY FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS IN THIS PRESS RELEASE.