-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----
Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR
Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov
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 TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB
MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA,
 JUbxX6HGXrVnPT0u0IuwAfRt5BJep40dhNfibzhnwZOl5xa5/QG6mubPg1XoX9vX
 QrRVpepdAzo9gL4PrtYgxA==

<SEC-DOCUMENT>0001181431-03-027813.txt : 20031028
<SEC-HEADER>0001181431-03-027813.hdr.sgml : 20031028
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20031028185059
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0001181431-03-027813
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	4
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT:	20031024
FILED AS OF DATE:		20031028

ISSUER:		

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			KOSAN BIOSCIENCES INC
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001110206
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	SERVICES-COMMERCIAL PHYSICAL & BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH [8731]
		IRS NUMBER:				943217016
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			CA
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		3832 BAY CENTER PLACE
		CITY:			HAYWARD
		STATE:			CA
		ZIP:			94545
		BUSINESS PHONE:		5107328400

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		3832 BAY CENTER PLACE
		CITY:			HAYWARD
		STATE:			CA
		ZIP:			94545

REPORTING-OWNER:	

	OWNER DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			KHOSLA CHAITAN PHD
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001135139

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		4
		SEC ACT:		1934 Act
		SEC FILE NUMBER:	000-31633
		FILM NUMBER:		03961939

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		3832 BAY CENTER PLACE
		CITY:			HAYWARD
		STATE:			CA
		ZIP:			94545
		BUSINESS PHONE:		5107328400

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		3832 BAY CENTER PLACE
		CITY:			HAYWARD
		STATE:			CA
		ZIP:			94545
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>rrd21091.xml
<DESCRIPTION>FORM 4
<TEXT>
<XML>
<?xml version="1.0"?><ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-10-24</periodOfReport><notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001110206</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>KOSAN BIOSCIENCES INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>KOSN</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001135139</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>KHOSLA CHAITAN PHD</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>3832 BAY CENTER PLACE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>HAYWARD</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState></rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>94545</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>1</isDirector><isOfficer>0</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><nonDerivativeTable><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-10-24</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>S</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved><footnoteId id="F1"/></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>1000</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>9.4</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>1498933</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>see footnote</va
lue><footnoteId id="F2"/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-10-27</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>S</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved><footnoteId id="F1"/></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>1000</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>9.3991</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>1497933</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>see footnote</value><footnoteId id="F2"/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTrans
action><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-10-28</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>S</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved><footnoteId id="F1"/></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>1000</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>9.07</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>1496933</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>see footnote</value><footnoteId id="F2"/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction></nonDerivativeTable><footnotes><footnote id="F1">Sale pursuant to rule 10(b)5
- -1</footnote><footnote id="F2">Shares are held by Chaitan S. Khosla and Susanne Ebert-Khosla, Trustees FBO The Chaitan S. Khosla and Susanne Ebert-Khosla 1998 InterVivos Trust</footnote></footnotes><ownerSignature><signatureName>Susan Kanaya, Attorney-in-Fact</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-10-28</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>



</XML>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SEC-DOCUMENT>
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