<PAGE>
    As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 12, 1997

                                                REGISTRATION NO. 333-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               Washington, D. C. 20549

                                ----------------------

                                       FORM S-8

                            REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER 
                              THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                                ----------------------

                           GENZYME TRANSGENICS CORPORATION
                (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

<TABLE>

<S>                                                          <C>

            Massachusetts                                          04-3186494
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)          (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

</TABLE>

                  Five Mountain Road, Framingham, Massachusetts 01701
                       (Address of Principal Executive Offices)

                                ----------------------

                           1993 DIRECTOR STOCK OPTION PLAN
                               (Full title of the plan)

                                  JAMES A. GERAGHTY
                        President and Chief Executive Officer
                           Genzyme Transgenics Corporation
                                  Five Mountain Road
                           Framingham, Massachusetts 01701
                                    (508) 872-8400
              (Name, address and telephone number of agent for service)

                                   with copies to:

                             LYNNETTE C. FALLON, ESQUIRE
                                  Palmer & Dodge LLP
                                  One Beacon Street
                             Boston, Massachusetts 02108
                                    (617) 573-0100
                                ----------------------

                           CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

<TABLE>

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                      <C>              <C>                 <C>                    <C>
Title of each class of securities to      Amount to be         Proposed          Proposed maximum        Amount of
           be registered                   registered      maximum offering     aggregate offering    registration fee
                                                           price per share(1)          price(1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock, $0.01 par value            50,000 shares(2)       $8.125                 $406,250            $123.11
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Estimated solely for the purpose of determining the registration fee and
    computed pursuant to Rule 457(h) and based upon the average of the high and
    low sale prices on June 10, 1997 as reported by the Nasdaq National Market
    System.
(2) This Registration Statement registers an additional 50,000 shares issuable
    under the Registrant's 1993 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "Plan"). 
    Fifty Thousand (50,000) shares issuable under the Plan have previously been
    registered (Registration No. 33-69518).

</TABLE>

<PAGE>

          Statement Regarding Incorporation By Reference From Effective 
                             Registration Statement.

    Pursuant to Instruction E to Form S-8, the contents of the Registrant's 
Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed with the Securities and Exchange 
Commission (the "Commission") on September 28, 1993 (File No. 33-69518) 
relating to the registration of 50,000 shares of the Registrant's Common 
Stock, $0.01 par value per share (the "Common Stock"), authorized for 
issuance under the Registrant's 1993 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the 
"Plan"), are incorporated by reference in their entirety in this Registration 
Statement, except as to the items set forth below.  This Registration 
Statement provides for the registration of an additional 50,000 shares of the 
Registrant's Common Stock to be issued under the Plan.

<PAGE>

                                       PART II
                  INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT


Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

    The following documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "Commission") are incorporated herein by reference:

         (a)  The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended December 29, 1996.

         (b)  All other reports of the Registrant filed pursuant to Section
13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange
Act"), since the end of the fiscal year covered by the annual report referred to
in (a) above.

         (c)  The description of the Registrant's Common Stock contained in its
Registration Statement on Form 8-A (File No. 0-21794) filed on May 19, 1993,
including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such
description.  

    All documents filed after the date of this Registration Statement by the
Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act
and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all
shares of Common Stock offered hereunder have been sold or which deregisters all
shares of Common Stock remaining unsold shall be deemed to be incorporated by
reference herein and to be a part hereof from the date of the filing of such
reports and documents.


Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

    The validity of the Common Stock offered hereby will be passed upon for the
Company by Palmer & Dodge LLP, Boston, Massachusetts.  Lynnette C. Fallon, the
Assistant Clerk of the Company, is a partner of Palmer & Dodge LLP.


Item 8.  Exhibits.

    See Exhibit Index on page 6.

<PAGE>

                                      SIGNATURES

    Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Boston, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on this 28th
day of May, 1997.



                             GENZYME TRANSGENICS CORPORATION
                             (Registrant)



                             By:  /s/ James A. Geraghty
                                  --------------------------
                                  James A. Geraghty,
                                  President and Chief Executive Officer


                                  POWER OF ATTORNEY
                                           
    We, the undersigned officers and directors of Genzyme Transgenics
Corporation, hereby severally constitute and appoint James A. Geraghty, John B.
Green, Gary Cohen and Lynnette C. Fallon, and each of them singly, our true and
lawful attorneys-in-fact, with full power to them in any and all capacities, to
sign any amendments to this Registration Statement on Form S-8 (including any
post-effective amendments thereto), and to file the same, with exhibits thereto
and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said
attorneys-in-fact may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

    Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the
capacities stated and on this 28th day of May, 1997:

Signature                         Capacity
---------                         --------



/s/ James A. Geraghty            President, Chief Executive Officer
----------------------           (Principal Executive Officer) and Director
James A. Geraghty                



/s/ John B. Green                Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
----------------------           (Principal Financial Officer and Principal
John B. Green                    Accounting Officer)



/s/ Henri A. Termeer             Chairman of the Board and Director      
----------------------
Henri A. Termeer

<PAGE>

/s/ Robert W. Baldridge          Vice Chairman of the Board and Director
------------------------
Robert W. Baldridge



 /s/ Henry E. Blair              Director
------------------------
Henry E. Blair



/s/ Alan E. Smith                Director                 
------------------------
Alan E. Smith 



/s/ Alan W. Tuck                 Director                 
------------------------
Alan W. Tuck



/s/ Francis J. Bullock           Director                 
------------------------
Francis J. Bullock


<PAGE>

 
                                    EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit
Number             Description
-------            -----------

4.1                Restated Articles of Organization of Genzyme Transgenics
                   Corporation, as amended.  Filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the
                   Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
                   December 31, 1993 (Commission File No. 0-21794) and
                   incorporated herein by reference.

4.2                By-laws of Genzyme Transgenics Corporation (as amended 
                   through June 25, 1993).  Filed as Exhibit 3.2 to the 
                   Registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File 
                   No. 33-62782) and incorporated herein by reference.

5                  Opinion of Palmer & Dodge LLP as to the legality of the
                   securities registered hereunder.

23.1               Consent of Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P, independent accountants.

23.2               Consent of Palmer & Dodge LLP (contained in Opinion of Palmer
                   & Dodge LLP filed as Exhibit 5).

24                 Power of Attorney (set forth on the Signature Page to
                   this Registration Statement).
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 10372}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "GENZYME TRANSGENICS CORP", "cik": "0000904973", "assigned-sic": "2836", "irs-number": "043186494", "state-of-incorporation": "MA", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-29059", "film-number": "97623116"}, "business-address": {"street1": "25 BIRCH STREET", "city": "MILFORD", "state": "MA", "zip": "01757", "phone": "5088728400"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 12, 1997

                                                REGISTRATION NO. 333-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               Washington, D. C. 20549

                                ----------------------

                                       FORM S-8

                            REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER 
                              THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                                ----------------------

                           GENZYME TRANSGENICS CORPORATION
                (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Massachusetts                                          04-3186494
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)          (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
Five Mountain Road, Framingham, Massachusetts 01701
                       (Address of Principal Executive Offices)

                                ----------------------

                           1993 DIRECTOR STOCK OPTION PLAN
                               (Full title of the plan)

                                  JAMES A. GERAGHTY
                        President and Chief Executive Officer
                           Genzyme Transgenics Corporation
                                  Five Mountain Road
                           Framingham, Massachusetts 01701
                                    (508) 872-8400
              (Name, address and telephone number of agent for service)

                                   with copies to:

                             LYNNETTE C. FALLON, ESQUIRE
                                  Palmer & Dodge LLP
                                  One Beacon Street
                             Boston, Massachusetts 02108
                                    (617) 573-0100
                                ----------------------

                           CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title of each class of securities to      Amount to be         Proposed          Proposed maximum        Amount of
           be registered                   registered      maximum offering     aggregate offering    registration fee
                                                           price per share(1)          price(1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock, $0.01 par value            50,000 shares(2)       $8.125                 $406,250            $123.11
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Estimated solely for the purpose of determining the registration fee and
    computed pursuant to Rule 457(h) and based upon the average of the high and
    low sale prices on June 10, 1997 as reported by the Nasdaq National Market
    System.
(2) This Registration Statement registers an additional 50,000 shares issuable
    under the Registrant's 1993 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "Plan"). 
    Fifty Thousand (50,000) shares issuable under the Plan have previously been
    registered (Registration No. 33-69518).
Statement Regarding Incorporation By Reference From Effective 
                             Registration Statement.

    Pursuant to Instruction E to Form S-8, the contents of the Registrant's 
Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed with the Securities and Exchange 
Commission (the "Commission") on September 28, 1993 (File No. 33-69518) 
relating to the registration of 50,000 shares of the Registrant's Common 
Stock, $0.01 par value per share (the "Common Stock"), authorized for 
issuance under the Registrant's 1993 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the 
"Plan"), are incorporated by reference in their entirety in this Registration 
Statement, except as to the items set forth below.  This Registration 
Statement provides for the registration of an additional 50,000 shares of the 
Registrant's Common Stock to be issued under the Plan.
PART II
                  INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

    The following documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "Commission") are incorporated herein by reference:

         (a)  The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended December 29, 1996.

         (b)  All other reports of the Registrant filed pursuant to Section
13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange
Act"), since the end of the fiscal year covered by the annual report referred to
in (a) above.

         (c)  The description of the Registrant's Common Stock contained in its
Registration Statement on Form 8-A (File No. 0-21794) filed on May 19, 1993,
including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such
description.  

    All documents filed after the date of this Registration Statement by the
Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act
and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all
shares of Common Stock offered hereunder have been sold or which deregisters all
shares of Common Stock remaining unsold shall be deemed to be incorporated by
reference herein and to be a part hereof from the date of the filing of such
reports and documents.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

    The validity of the Common Stock offered hereby will be passed upon for the
Company by Palmer & Dodge LLP, Boston, Massachusetts.  Lynnette C. Fallon, the
Assistant Clerk of the Company, is a partner of Palmer & Dodge LLP.

Item 8.  Exhibits.

    See Exhibit Index on page 6.
SIGNATURES

    Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Boston, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on this 28th
day of May, 1997.

                             GENZYME TRANSGENICS CORPORATION
                             (Registrant)

                             By:  /s/ James A. Geraghty
                                  --------------------------
                                  James A. Geraghty,
                                  President and Chief Executive Officer

                                  POWER OF ATTORNEY
                                           
    We, the undersigned officers and directors of Genzyme Transgenics
Corporation, hereby severally constitute and appoint James A. Geraghty, John B.
Green, Gary Cohen and Lynnette C. Fallon, and each of them singly, our true and
lawful attorneys-in-fact, with full power to them in any and all capacities, to
sign any amendments to this Registration Statement on Form S-8 (including any
post-effective amendments thereto), and to file the same, with exhibits thereto
and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said
attorneys-in-fact may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

    Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the
capacities stated and on this 28th day of May, 1997:

Signature                         Capacity
---------                         --------

/s/ James A. Geraghty            President, Chief Executive Officer
----------------------           (Principal Executive Officer) and Director
James A. Geraghty                

/s/ John B. Green                Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
----------------------           (Principal Financial Officer and Principal
John B. Green                    Accounting Officer)

/s/ Henri A. Termeer             Chairman of the Board and Director      
----------------------
Henri A. Termeer
/s/ Robert W. Baldridge          Vice Chairman of the Board and Director
------------------------
Robert W. Baldridge

 /s/ Henry E. Blair              Director
------------------------
Henry E. Blair

/s/ Alan E. Smith                Director                 
------------------------
Alan E. Smith 

/s/ Alan W. Tuck                 Director                 
------------------------
Alan W. Tuck

/s/ Francis J. Bullock           Director                 
------------------------
Francis J. Bullock
EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number             Description
-------            -----------

4.1                Restated Articles of Organization of Genzyme Transgenics
                   Corporation, as amended.  Filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the
                   Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
                   December 31, 1993 (Commission File No. 0-21794) and
                   incorporated herein by reference.

4.2                By-laws of Genzyme Transgenics Corporation (as amended 
                   through June 25, 1993).  Filed as Exhibit 3.2 to the 
                   Registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File 
                   No. 33-62782) and incorporated herein by reference.

5                  Opinion of Palmer & Dodge LLP as to the legality of the
                   securities registered hereunder.

23.1               Consent of Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P, independent accountants.

23.2               Consent of Palmer & Dodge LLP (contained in Opinion of Palmer
                   & Dodge LLP filed as Exhibit 5).

24                 Power of Attorney (set forth on the Signature Page to
                   this Registration Statement).