FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0287 Expires: January 31, 2005 Estimated average burden hours per response... 0.5

(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * HIGGINS JOHN L   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol LIGAND PHARMACEUTICALS INC [LGND] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) __X__ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) Chief Executive Officer (Last) (First) (Middle) 3911 SORRENTO VALLEY BOULEVARD, STE 110 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 03/02/2018 (Street) SAN DIEGO, CA 92121 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock 03/02/2018   A   7,928 A $ 0 104,386 D   Common Stock 03/06/2018   A   6,015 (1) A $ 0 110,401 D   Common Stock 03/06/2018   F   2,982 (2) D $ 165.87 107,419 D

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
	Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number.		SEC 1474 (9-02)

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Employee Stock Option (right to buy)

$ 159.01

03/02/2018

A

41,392

(3)

03/02/2028

Common Stock

41,392

$ 0

41,392

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
HIGGINS JOHN L 3911 SORRENTO VALLEY BOULEVARD, STE 110 SAN DIEGO, CA 92121	X		Chief Executive Officer

Signatures

By: Charles S. Berkman For: John L. Higgins		03/06/2018
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	Represents the number of shares of common stock issued upon the vesting of performance stock units (PSUs). Each PSU represented a contingent right to receive one share of the Issuer?s common stock. The PSUs were originally granted on 02/11/2016 and were eligible to vest based on the Issuer?s achievement of certain performance objectives during the two-year performance period ending December 31, 2017. On March 05, 2018, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Issuer certified the Issuer?s achievement relative to the applicable performance objectives and approved the vesting of the PSUs with respect to these shares.
(2)	Represents shares withheld by the Issuer in payment of the tax liability arising in connection with the settlement of the PSUs.
(3)	Grant to reporting person of options to purchase shares of common stock ("Option Shares"), exerciseable over a 4-year period measured from the date of grant, 12-1/2% after six months, then 1/48th of the Option Shares per month thereafter. The date of grant is 03/02/18.

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.

Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB number.