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)    September 12 , 2000
                                                      -------------------
  
       ALZA CORPORATION
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
                 (Exact name of registrant as specified in Charter)
  
             Delaware                     1-6247                 77-0142070
  ----------------------------       ------------------    ---------------------
  (State or Other Jurisdiction        (Commission File      (IRS Employer
  of Incorporation)                        Number)          Identification No.)
  
  
  1900 Charleston Road, P.O. Box 7210, Mountain View, CA        94039-7210
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
  (Address of Principal Executive Offices)                      (Zip Code)
  
  Registrant's telephone number, including area code:       (650) 564-5000
                                                            --------------
                                       None
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------
           (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
  <PAGE>
  
  Item 5.  Other Events
  
       On September 12, 2000, ALZA Corporation announced that it will call a
  special meeting of its stockholders to amend its Restated Certificate of
  Incorporation to (1) increase the number of authorized shares of the Company's
  Common Stock from its current level of 300,000,000 to 1,000,000,000 shares, and
  (2) effect a two-for-one stock split of currently outstanding shares of Common
  Stock. The press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 hereto.
                                          ------------
  
  
  (a)  Exhibits
  
       Exhibit 99.1    Press release issued by ALZA Corporation on September 12,
                       2000
  <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 herewith duly authorized.
  
  
  
  Date:  September 12, 2000     ALZA CORPORATION
  
  
                                By:    /s/ PETER D. STAPLE
                                    --------------------------
                                    Peter D. Staple
                                    Executive Vice President
                                    & General Counsel
  <PAGE>
  
                                   EXHIBIT INDEX
  
  
  Exhibit         Description
  -------         -----------
  
  Exhibit 99.1    Press release issued by ALZA Corporation on September 12, 2000
metadata_documents: [{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "filename": "0001.txt", "description": "FORM 8-K", "secsgml_size_bytes": 2914}]
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": "721642"}, "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)    September 12 , 2000
                                                      -------------------
  
       ALZA CORPORATION
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
                 (Exact name of registrant as specified in Charter)
  
             Delaware                     1-6247                 77-0142070
  ----------------------------       ------------------    ---------------------
  (State or Other Jurisdiction        (Commission File      (IRS Employer
  of Incorporation)                        Number)          Identification No.)
  
  1900 Charleston Road, P.O. Box 7210, Mountain View, CA        94039-7210
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
  (Address of Principal Executive Offices)                      (Zip Code)
  
  Registrant's telephone number, including area code:       (650) 564-5000
                                                            --------------
                                       None
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------
           (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
  Item 5.  Other Events
  
       On September 12, 2000, ALZA Corporation announced that it will call a
  special meeting of its stockholders to amend its Restated Certificate of
  Incorporation to (1) increase the number of authorized shares of the Company's
  Common Stock from its current level of 300,000,000 to 1,000,000,000 shares, and
  (2) effect a two-for-one stock split of currently outstanding shares of Common
  Stock. The press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 hereto.
                                          ------------
  
  (a)  Exhibits
  
       Exhibit 99.1    Press release issued by ALZA Corporation on September 12,
                       2000
  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 herewith duly authorized.
  
  Date:  September 12, 2000     ALZA CORPORATION
  
                                By:    /s/ PETER D. STAPLE
                                    --------------------------
                                    Peter D. Staple
                                    Executive Vice President
                                    & General Counsel
  EXHIBIT INDEX
  
  Exhibit         Description
  -------         -----------
  
  Exhibit 99.1    Press release issued by ALZA Corporation on September 12, 2000