8-K

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                       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): May 15, 2002

                          BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


           Delaware                   000-26727                  68-0397820
(State or other jurisdiction of      (Commission               (IRS Employer
 incorporation or organization)      File Number)            Identification No.)


371 Bel Marin Keys Boulevard, Suite 210, Novato, California             94949
(Address of principal executive offices)                             (Zip Code)


Registrant's telephone number, including area code:              (415) 884-6700


                                  Not Applicable
                 ------------------------------------------
         (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
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Item 5.  Other Events.

     On May 15, 2002, BioMarin  Pharmaceutical Inc. (the "Registrant") announced
it has initiated  preclinical  studies of NeuroTrans and taken steps to continue
building the technology's intellectual property position. The Registrant's press
release issued on May 15, 2002 is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.

Item 7.  Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Statements and Exhibits.


         (a)      Financial Statements of Business Acquired.

                  Not Applicable.

         (b)      Pro Forma Financial Information.

                  Not Applicable.

         (c)      Exhibits.

                  Exhibit 99.1 Press Release of the Registrant dated May 15,
                  2002.









                                 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.

                          BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.,
                             a Delaware corporation


Date:    May 15, 2002                  By: /s/ Fredric D. Price
     --------------------                 ------------------------------
                                          Fredric D. Price
                                          Chairman and Chief Executive Officer



                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.                Description

Exhibit 99.1               Press Release of the Registrant dated May 15, 2002

EX-99

                                                             Exhibit 99.1


BioMarin Provides Update on NeuroTransTM Brain Delivery Program


Novato,  California,  May 15th, 2002 - BioMarin  Pharmaceutical Inc. (Nasdaq and
Swiss SWX New Market:  BMRN) today  announced that it has initiated  preclinical
studies of NeuroTrans and taken key steps to continue  building the technology's
intellectual  property  position.  NeuroTrans is the proprietary  brain delivery
technology that BioMarin is developing to treat neurological problems associated
with many lysosomal storage disorders. BioMarin obtained the NeuroTrans platform
through its recently completed acquisition of Synapse Technologies Inc.

Intravenously  administered protein therapeutics - including lysosomal enzymes -
have not been shown to penetrate the blood-brain barrier. As a result, treatment
of the central nervous system  impairment  that is typical of certain  lysosomal
storage  disorders  remains  a  critical  unmet  medical  need.  The  NeuroTrans
technology is designed to use a natural human protein (p97) to transport enzymes
and other  drugs  across the  blood-brain  barrier and into brain cells to treat
neurological disorders.

Reinhard Gabathuler,  Ph.D.,  BioMarin's Vice President,  Brain Research,  said,
"Three key steps are  required in order for  NeuroTrans  to serve as a potential
treatment for the neurological  effects of lysosomal storage disorders:  (1) the
attachment of lysosomal  enzymes to p97 molecules;  (2) the active  transport of
these  enzymes  across the  blood-brain  barrier;  and (3) the delivery of these
enzymes to the  lysosomes of brain cells.  Preliminary  results from both recent
and ongoing  preclinical studies indicate that NeuroTrans may meet each of these
requirements."

Preclinical Studies

Since  announcing  on January  14, 2002 that it had  entered  into a  definitive
agreement  to acquire  Synapse,  BioMarin  has  initiated  multiple  preclinical
studies of NeuroTrans both in-house as well as through  strategic brain delivery
collaborations  with  researchers  at Stanford  University,  the  University  of
California  at Los  Angeles,  and the  University  of  Quebec at  Montreal.  The
Company's initial preclinical efforts have focused on three areas:

o        Enzyme Attachment: BioMarin is evaluating methods for attaching
         lysosomal enzymes to p97, whereby p97 will act as a `carrier' molecule
         that pulls the enzyme `payload' across the blood-brain barrier.

o        Transport Efficiency: BioMarin is using an in vitro blood-brain barrier
         model to measure the rate at which p97-linked lysosomal enzymes are
         transported across the blood-brain barrier.

o        Biological Uptake: BioMarin is working with normal and lysosomal
         storage disorder animal models to assess the biodistribution and
         bioactivity of intravenously administered p97-linked lysosomal enzymes
         in the brain and in other tissues.



Christopher  Starr,  Ph.D.,  BioMarin's  Co-Founder  and Senior Vice  President,
Research and  Development,  said,  "Throughout  2002,  BioMarin will continue to
conduct preclinical studies to validate the NeuroTrans technology as a potential
treatment for lysosomal storage disorders and to identify an initial  indication
for future  clinical  studies.  The Company's  goal for this year is to gather a
substantial set of preclinical efficacy data to prepare for an IND filing."

Intellectual Property

As a part of the  Synapse  transaction,  BioMarin  acquired  the  rights to U.S.
Patent  No.  5,981,194,  entitled,  "Use of p97 and  iron  binding  proteins  as
diagnostic and therapeutic  agents." In addition,  the U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office recently issued BioMarin a notice of allowance for a continuation-in-part
(CIP) application.  BioMarin believes this patent creates a strong  intellectual
property  foundation for NeuroTrans by granting  claims for both  composition of
matter and methods of delivering  therapeutic compounds linked to p97 across the
blood-brain  barrier.  Furthermore,   BioMarin  has  filed  three  other  patent
applications related to NeuroTrans based on internal research efforts.

Terms of the Acquisition

Under the terms of the agreement,  on March 21, 2002,  BioMarin acquired 100% of
the  outstanding  shares  of  Synapse  for  approximately   US$10.2  million  by
exchanging 885,240 shares of BioMarin common stock at a deemed value of US$11.50
per share.  BioMarin may also be required to make contingent  payments to former
Synapse  shareholders  in either cash or BioMarin  stock of up to  approximately
US$6.0 million upon reaching certain development milestones.

Twelve Synapse employees joined BioMarin at the close of the acquisition and now
operate out of BioMarin's  Vancouver,  British Columbia office,  which serves as
the hub of the NeuroTrans program.

BioMarin  specializes in the  development and  commercialization  of therapeutic
enzyme products to treat serious, life-threatening diseases and conditions.

This  press  release  contains  forward-looking  statements  about the  business
prospects  of  BioMarin  Pharmaceutical  Inc.,  and the  acquisition  of Synapse
Technologies Inc. These  forward-looking  statements are predictions and involve
risks and  uncertainties  such that actual  results may differ  materially  from
these  statements.  Results may differ  materially  depending on the progress of
BioMarin's  product  programs,  including  the ability to integrate the research
programs  being  acquired  from Synapse,  the actual  results of the current and
proposed  preclinical efforts and current and proposed clinical trials,  actions
of regulatory authorities, future availability of capital, future actions in the
pharmaceutical  market  and  developments  by  competitors,  and  those  factors
detailed in BioMarin's filings with the Securities and Exchange  Commission such
as 10Q, 10K and 8K reports.  Stockholders  are urged not to place undue reliance
on forward-looking statements,  which speak only as of the date hereof. BioMarin
is under no obligation,  and expressly  disclaims any  obligation,  to update or
alter any  forward-looking  statement,  whether as a result of new  information,
future events or otherwise.

Contacts:
Jeremy Price
Manager, Investor Relations
BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.
(415) 884-6777
jprice@biomarinpharm.com



Sharon Karlsberg
Vice President
Feinstein Kean Healthcare
(617) 577-8110
skarlsberg@fkhealth.com

"Safe Harbor"  Statement under the Private  Securities  Litigation Reform Act of
1995: Statements in this press release regarding BioMarin  Pharmaceutical Inc.'s
business which are not historical  facts are  "forward-looking  statements" that
involve   risks  and   uncertainties.   For  a  discussion  of  such  risks  and
uncertainties,  which could cause actual results to differ from those  contained
in the  forward-looking  statements,  see "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual
Report or Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year.