EXHIBIT 10.1


                                                                John L. Higgins
                                          President and Chief Executive Officer



March 30, 2007


John P. Sharp
[ADDRESS OMITTED]
San Diego, CA  XXXXX


Dear John:

I am pleased to extend to you an offer to become Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer and corporate officer of Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc.reporting
to me commencing on Monday, April 23, 2007. This offer and your continued
employment are contingent upon your truthful representations to be provided in
the employment application and upon our completion of background checks,
including employment and criminal, satisfactory to the Company. The particulars
of our offer are as follows:


COMPENSATION

1.   Your initial base salary will be $210,000.00 per year

2.   You will participate in the Bonus Incentive Plan for Vice Presidents based
     upon achievement of pre-agreed goals (a target bonus of 30% of your annual
     base salary, up to a maximun of 40%).

3.   You will be granted an option to purchase at your election 50,000 options
     of the Company's common stock at its "fair market price" under our current
     Employee Stock Option Plan. The Agreement includes a four-year
     vesting/repurchasing provision. The grant will be subject to your execution
     of the Company's Incentive Stock Option Agreement. The Compensation
     Committee of the Board of Directors has approved your grant to be effective
     on your date of hire. Subject to Shareholder approval you will be granted
     15,000 shares of restricted stock at its "fair market price" or less with a
     three-year vesting. In the event that approval by the Shareholders is not
     successful your restricted stock grant will be granted under current
     practices.


BENEFITS

As a regular employee of Ligand, you will become eligible to participate in
Company-sponsored benefits. Your medical benefits will be effective on the first
day of the month following your employment date. Ligand's total compensation
package, including salary, equity participation in the company, and the benefits
program, when viewed in its entirety, is one of the best in the pharmaceutical
industry. The benefits will be described in detail to you during your
Orientation on Monday, April 23, 2007 at 08:00 a.m. at the 10275 Science Center
Drive location. As part of your orientation, you will be asked to complete
Form W-4, Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate. For this process you are
requested to present your Social Security Card at the orientation.

Employment with Ligand is not for a specific term and can be terminated by you
or by the Company at any time for any reason, with or without cause. Any
contrary representations which may have been made or which may be made to you
are superseded by this offer. We request that all of our employees, to the
extent possible, give us advance notice if they intend to resign. If you accept
this offer, the terms and conditions in this letter shall be the terms of your
employment. Any modifications or additions to these terms would have to be in
writing and signed by you and me.

Your employment pursuant to this offer is contingent on your completion of an
employment physical evaluation, executing the Proprietary Information and
Inventions Agreement and upon your providing the Company with the legally
required proof of your identity and authorization to work in the
placecountry-regionUnited States. Typically, a driver's license with photograph
and a social security card, or a passport will be sufficient and should be
brought with you to Orientation on your first day of work.

We hope that you will accept our offer of employment. If you accept the offer
described herein, please return to me the signed original of this letter, the
executed Proprietary Information and Inventions Agreement, completed Employment
Application and executed background authorization form. This offer, if not
accepted, will expire on Wednesday, April 04, 2007. If you have any questions,
please call me at (858) 550-7582.






John, all of us are excited about having you join the dynamic team at Ligand and
we believe our professional association with you will be mutually rewarding. We
are truly looking forward to working with you in building an exciting new
company.

Sincerely,

LIGAND PHARMACEUTICALS INC.

/s/ John L. Higgins

John L. Higgins
President & Chief Executive Officer

:ac


Enclosures


Agreed and Accepted:

/s/ John Sharp

John P. Sharp                               Date: 04/02/07