content: <PAGE>
  
                        SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, D.C. 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):            October 31, 2000
                                                    ----------------------------
  
                                 ALZA Corporation
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
  
                Delaware                  1-6247                 77-0142070
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     (State or Other Jurisdiction      (Commission              (IRS Employer
             of Incorporation)         File Number)          Identification No.)
  
  1900 Charleston Road P.O. Box 7210, Mountain View, California      94039-7210
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (Address of Principal Executive Offices)                          (Zip Code)
  
  Registrant's telephone number, including area code (650) 564-5000
                                                     --------------
  
                                        N/A
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
           (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
  <PAGE>
  
  Item 5.  Other Events
  
       At a special meeting of stockholders on October 31, 2000, the stockholders
  of ALZA Corporation approved an amendment to ALZA's Restated Certificate of
  Incorporation (the "Amendment") to (1) increase the number of authorized shares
  of the Company's Common Stock from 300,000,000 to 1,000,000,000 shares, (2)
  effect a two-for-one stock split of the shares of Common Stock outstanding as of
  the effective date of the Amendment and (3) adjust the per share par value of
  the Common Stock from $0.01 to $0.005. The effective date of the Amendment will
  be November 1, 2000. The expected distribution date for the stock split is
  November 15, 2000. On or about that date, the new shares will be distributed by
  the company's transfer agent, EquiServe L.P. The "ex-distribution date," when
  the company's outstanding common stock will begin to trade on a post-split
  basis, is expected to be November 16, 2000.
  
                                         2
  <PAGE>
  
                                    SIGNATURES
  
         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.
  
  Dated: October 31, 2000              ALZA Corporation
  
                                       By /s/ Peter Staple
                                          _______________________________________
                                          Name:  Peter Staple
                                          Title: Executive Vice President,
                                                 Chief Administrative Officer and
                                                 General Counsel
  
                                         3
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metadata_filer: {"company-data": {"conformed-name": "ALZA CORP", "cik": "0000004310", "assigned-sic": "2834", "irs-number": "770142070", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "001-06247", "film-number": "751220"}, "business-address": {"street1": "1900 CHARLESTON RD", "street2": "PO BOX 7210", "city": "MOUNTAIN VIEW", "state": "CA", "zip": "94309", "phone": "6504945000"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "1900 CHARLESTON RD", "street2": "PO BOX 7210", "city": "MOUNTAIN VIEW", "state": "CA", "zip": "94309-7210"}}
text: SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, D.C. 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):            October 31, 2000
                                                    ----------------------------
  
                                 ALZA Corporation
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
  
                Delaware                  1-6247                 77-0142070
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     (State or Other Jurisdiction      (Commission              (IRS Employer
             of Incorporation)         File Number)          Identification No.)
  
  1900 Charleston Road P.O. Box 7210, Mountain View, California      94039-7210
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (Address of Principal Executive Offices)                          (Zip Code)
  
  Registrant's telephone number, including area code (650) 564-5000
                                                     --------------
  
                                        N/A
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
           (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
  Item 5.  Other Events
  
       At a special meeting of stockholders on October 31, 2000, the stockholders
  of ALZA Corporation approved an amendment to ALZA's Restated Certificate of
  Incorporation (the "Amendment") to (1) increase the number of authorized shares
  of the Company's Common Stock from 300,000,000 to 1,000,000,000 shares, (2)
  effect a two-for-one stock split of the shares of Common Stock outstanding as of
  the effective date of the Amendment and (3) adjust the per share par value of
  the Common Stock from $0.01 to $0.005. The effective date of the Amendment will
  be November 1, 2000. The expected distribution date for the stock split is
  November 15, 2000. On or about that date, the new shares will be distributed by
  the company's transfer agent, EquiServe L.P. The "ex-distribution date," when
  the company's outstanding common stock will begin to trade on a post-split
  basis, is expected to be November 16, 2000.
  
                                         2
  SIGNATURES
  
         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.
  
  Dated: October 31, 2000              ALZA Corporation
  
                                       By /s/ Peter Staple
                                          _______________________________________
                                          Name:  Peter Staple
                                          Title: Executive Vice President,
                                                 Chief Administrative Officer and
                                                 General Counsel
  
                                         3