content: <PAGE>
   
                        SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
  
                               WASHINGTON, DC  20549
  
                                    ___________
  
                                      FORM 8-K
                                   CURRENT REPORT
  
                          PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
                       OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
  
  
  
  Date of Report (Date of
  Earliest Event Reported):  August 25, 1997
  
  
                         THERAPEUTIC DISCOVERY CORPORATION
                         ---------------------------------
               (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
  
          Delaware                    000-21478           94-3173191
  - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  (State of Incorporation      (Commission File No.)      (I.R.S. Employer
      or Organization)                                    Identification no.)
  
  
  1454 Page Mill Road, P.O. Box 10051, Palo Alto, California    94303-0806
  - ----------------------------------------------------------    ----------
      (Address of principal executive offices)                  (Zip Code)
  
  
  
  Registrant's telephone no., including area code:  (650) 496-8200
                                                    --------------
  
  
                                   NOT APPLICABLE
  - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
           (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
  <PAGE>
   
  ITEM 1.   CHANGE IN CONTROL OF REGISTRANT
            -------------------------------
  
            (a) On August 25, 1997 (the "Exercise Date") ALZA Corporation, a
  Delaware corporation ("ALZA") exercised its option to purchase all of the issued
  and outstanding Class A Common Stock (the "Class A Common Stock") of Therapeutic
  Discovery Corporation, a Delaware corporation ("TDC"), pursuant to the terms of
  TDC's Restated Certificate of Incorporation as filed with the Secretary of State
  for the State of Delaware on April 1, 1993.  The closing date for the purchase
  of the Class A Common Stock is September 29, 1997 (the "Closing Date").  ALZA
  has the ability to appoint TDC's board of directors effective as of the Exercise
  Date and TDC is prohibited from entering into certain significant corporate
  transactions without ALZA's prior written consent between the Exercise Date and
  the Closing Date. The Class A Common Stock being acquired is to be acquired from
  all holders of Class A Common Stock determined as of the close of business on
  the Closing Date.  The exercise price for the purchase of the Class A Common
  Stock is $100 million and, to the best of TDC's knowledge, the source of these
  funds is ALZA's cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. Prior to the
  exercise of the Purchase Option, ALZA owned 100 shares of Class B Common Stock
  of TDC.  Subsequent to the Closing Date, ALZA will own 100% of the issued and
  outstanding stock of TDC.
  
            (b)  None.
  
  ITEM 7.   EXHIBITS
            --------
  
  3.1       Restated Certificate of Incorporation of TDC as filed with the
            Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on April 1, 1993
            (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 17(c) to the Schedule 13E-3 of
            ALZA as filed with respect to TDC on August 27, 1997).
  
                                        -2-
  <PAGE>
   
                                     SIGNATURE
                                     ---------
  
       Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
  Registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the
  undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.
  
                                       THERAPEUTIC DISCOVERY CORPORATION
  
  
  
  Date:  September 9, 1997             By: /s/ Gary L. Neil
                                           ----------------
                                           Gary L. Neil
                                           President and Chief Executive Officer
  
                                        -3-
  <PAGE>
   
                                   EXHIBIT INDEX
                                   -------------
  
  
   Exhibit
      No.                             Exhibit
   -------                            -------
  
    3.1       Restated Certificate of Incorporation of TDC as filed with the
              Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on April 1, 1993
              (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 17(c) to the Schedule 13E-3
              of ALZA as filed with respect to TDC on August 27, 1997).
  
                                        -4-
metadata_documents: [{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM 8-K", "secsgml_size_bytes": 4547}]
metadata_filer: {"company-data": {"conformed-name": "THERAPEUTIC DISCOVERY CORP", "cik": "0000899753", "assigned-sic": "2834", "irs-number": "943173191", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "file-number": "000-21478", "film-number": "97677445"}, "business-address": {"street1": "1375 CALIFORNIA AVENUE", "street2": "P O BOX 10051", "city": "PALO ALTO", "state": "CA", "zip": "94303", "phone": "4154968203"}}
text: SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
  
                               WASHINGTON, DC  20549
  
                                    ___________
  
                                      FORM 8-K
                                   CURRENT REPORT
  
                          PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
                       OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
  
  Date of Report (Date of
  Earliest Event Reported):  August 25, 1997
  
                         THERAPEUTIC DISCOVERY CORPORATION
                         ---------------------------------
               (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
  
          Delaware                    000-21478           94-3173191
  - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  (State of Incorporation      (Commission File No.)      (I.R.S. Employer
      or Organization)                                    Identification no.)
  
  1454 Page Mill Road, P.O. Box 10051, Palo Alto, California    94303-0806
  - ----------------------------------------------------------    ----------
      (Address of principal executive offices)                  (Zip Code)
  
  Registrant's telephone no., including area code:  (650) 496-8200
                                                    --------------
  
                                   NOT APPLICABLE
  - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
           (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
  ITEM 1.   CHANGE IN CONTROL OF REGISTRANT
            -------------------------------
  
            (a) On August 25, 1997 (the "Exercise Date") ALZA Corporation, a
  Delaware corporation ("ALZA") exercised its option to purchase all of the issued
  and outstanding Class A Common Stock (the "Class A Common Stock") of Therapeutic
  Discovery Corporation, a Delaware corporation ("TDC"), pursuant to the terms of
  TDC's Restated Certificate of Incorporation as filed with the Secretary of State
  for the State of Delaware on April 1, 1993.  The closing date for the purchase
  of the Class A Common Stock is September 29, 1997 (the "Closing Date").  ALZA
  has the ability to appoint TDC's board of directors effective as of the Exercise
  Date and TDC is prohibited from entering into certain significant corporate
  transactions without ALZA's prior written consent between the Exercise Date and
  the Closing Date. The Class A Common Stock being acquired is to be acquired from
  all holders of Class A Common Stock determined as of the close of business on
  the Closing Date.  The exercise price for the purchase of the Class A Common
  Stock is $100 million and, to the best of TDC's knowledge, the source of these
  funds is ALZA's cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. Prior to the
  exercise of the Purchase Option, ALZA owned 100 shares of Class B Common Stock
  of TDC.  Subsequent to the Closing Date, ALZA will own 100% of the issued and
  outstanding stock of TDC.
  
            (b)  None.
  
  ITEM 7.   EXHIBITS
            --------
  
  3.1       Restated Certificate of Incorporation of TDC as filed with the
            Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on April 1, 1993
            (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 17(c) to the Schedule 13E-3 of
            ALZA as filed with respect to TDC on August 27, 1997).
  
                                        -2-
  SIGNATURE
                                     ---------
  
       Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
  Registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the
  undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.
  
                                       THERAPEUTIC DISCOVERY CORPORATION
  
  Date:  September 9, 1997             By: /s/ Gary L. Neil
                                           ----------------
                                           Gary L. Neil
                                           President and Chief Executive Officer
  
                                        -3-
  EXHIBIT INDEX
                                   -------------
  
   Exhibit
      No.                             Exhibit
   -------                            -------
  
    3.1       Restated Certificate of Incorporation of TDC as filed with the
              Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on April 1, 1993
              (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 17(c) to the Schedule 13E-3
              of ALZA as filed with respect to TDC on August 27, 1997).
  
                                        -4-