8-K

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 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): March 9, 2004

La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

Delaware	0-24274	33-0361285
(State or Other Jurisdiction	(Commission	(IRS Employer
of Incorporation)	File Number)	Identification No.)

6455 Nancy Ridge Drive, San Diego, California	92121
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)	(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (858) 452-6600

N/A

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

	Item 5. Other Events and Required FD Disclosure
	Item 7. Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits
SIGNATURES
EXHIBIT INDEX
EXHIBIT 99.1
EXHIBIT 99.2

Item 5. Other Events and Required FD Disclosure.

     On March 9, 2004, the Company issued a press release announcing that Steven Engle, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, would present at the SG Cowen 24th Annual Healthcare Conference on March 11, 2004. A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

     On March 10, 2004, the Company issued a press release announcing that Gail Sloan was promoted to Vice President of Finance, Controller and Secretary. A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.2 and is incorporated herein by reference.

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

          (c) Exhibits. The following exhibits are filed with this report on Form 8-K:

Exhibit
Number	Description of Exhibit
99.1	Press Release announcing that the Company would present at the SG Cowen 24th Annual Healthcare Conference
99.2	Press Release announcing that Gail Sloan was promoted to Vice President of Finance, Controller and Secretary

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.

	LA JOLLA PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY
Date:  March 10, 2004	By:	/s/ Gail A. Sloan
		Gail A. Sloan
		Vice President of Finance and Controller

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number	Description of Exhibit
99.1	Press Release announcing that the Company would present at the SG Cowen 24th Annual Healthcare Conference
99.2	Press Release announcing that Gail Sloan was promoted to Vice President of Finance, Controller and Secretary

EX-99.1

                                                                   Exhibit 99.1

                      LA JOLLA PHARMACEUTICAL TO PRESENT AT
                         SG COWEN HEALTHCARE CONFERENCE

SAN DIEGO, MARCH 9, 2004 - La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company (Nasdaq: LJPC) today
announced that Steven B. Engle, Chairman and CEO of La Jolla Pharmaceutical,
will present this Thursday, March 11, at 10:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Eastern Time
during the SG Cowen 24th Annual Healthcare Conference. The conference will take
place March 8-11, 2004 at the Marriott Copley Place in Boston, MA. An audio
webcast of the presentation will be available through the Company's website
http://www.ljpc.com.

La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company is a biotechnology company developing
therapeutics for antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases and inflammation
afflicting several million people in the United States and Europe. The Company
is developing Riquent(R), formerly known as LJP 394, for the treatment of lupus
kidney disease, a leading cause of sickness and death in patients with lupus.
The Company is also developing LJP 1082 for the treatment of antibody-mediated
thrombosis, a condition in which patients suffer from recurrent stroke,
deep-vein thrombosis and other thrombotic events, and is in the early stage of
developing small molecules to treat various other autoimmune and inflammatory
conditions. The Company's common stock is traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market
under the symbol LJPC. For more information about the Company, visit its
website: http://www.ljpc.com.

Except for historical statements, this press release contains forward-looking
statements involving significant risks and uncertainties, and a number of
factors, both foreseen and unforeseen, could cause actual results to differ
materially from our current expectations. Forward-looking statements include
those that express a plan, belief, expectation, estimation, anticipation,
intent, contingency, future development or similar expression. Although our New
Drug Application ("NDA") for Riquent(R) has been accepted by the United States
Food and Drug Administration (the "FDA") for review, there is no guarantee that
the FDA will approve Riquent in a timely manner, or at all. Our analyses of
clinical results of Riquent, previously known as LJP 394, our drug candidate for
the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus ("lupus"), and LJP 1082, our drug
candidate


                                     -more-

for the treatment of antibody-mediated thrombosis ("thrombosis"), are ongoing
and could result in a finding that these drug candidates are not effective in
large patient populations, do not provide a meaningful clinical benefit, or may
reveal a potential safety issue requiring us to develop new candidates. The
analysis of the data from our Phase 3 trial of Riquent has shown that the trial
did not reach statistical significance with respect to its primary endpoint,
time to renal flare. Although our NDA for Riquent has been accepted for review
by the FDA, the results from our clinical trials of Riquent may not ultimately
be sufficient to obtain regulatory clearance to market Riquent either in the
United States or Europe, and we may be required to conduct additional clinical
studies to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of Riquent in order to obtain
marketing approval. There is no guarantee, however, that we will have the
necessary resources to complete any additional trial, that we will elect to
conduct an additional trial, or that any additional trial will sufficiently
demonstrate the safety and efficacy of Riquent. Our blood test to measure the
binding affinity for Riquent is experimental, has not been validated by
independent laboratories and will likely be reviewed as part of the Riquent
approval process. Our other potential drug candidates are at earlier stages of
development and involve comparable risks. Analysis of our clinical trials could
have negative or inconclusive results. Any positive results observed to date may
not be indicative of future results. In any event, regulatory authorities may
require additional clinical trials, or may not approve our drugs. Our ability to
develop and sell our products in the future may be adversely affected by the
intellectual property rights of third parties. Additional risk factors include
the uncertainty and timing of: obtaining required regulatory approvals,
including delays associated with any approvals that we may obtain; the clear
need for additional financing; our ability to pass FDA pre-approval inspections
of our manufacturing facilities and processes; the increase in capacity of our
manufacturing capabilities for possible commercialization; successfully
marketing and selling our products; our lack of manufacturing, marketing, and
sales experience; generating future revenue from product sales or other sources
such as collaborative relationships; future profitability; and our dependence on
patents and other proprietary rights. Readers are cautioned to not place undue
reliance upon forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date
hereof, and we undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements to
reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date hereof. Interested
parties are urged to review the risks described in our Annual Report on Form
10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002, and in other reports and registration
statements that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to
time.

                                       ###

EX-99.2

                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.2

                       LA JOLLA PHARMACEUTICAL ANNOUNCES
                               EXECUTIVE PROMOTION

SAN DIEGO, MARCH 10, 2004 -- La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company (Nasdaq: LJPC)
today announced the promotion of Gail Sloan to Vice President of Finance,
Controller and Secretary.

"Gail has played an important role in the growth and progress of the Company,"
said Steven Engle, Chairman and CEO. "Her financial leadership and experience
are greatly valued. We commend her for her accomplishments and congratulate her
on this promotion."

Ms. Sloan joined La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company in 1996 as Assistant
Controller. She was promoted to Controller in 1997 and to Senior Director of
Finance and Controller in 2002. She was appointed Secretary in 1999. Prior to
joining the Company, Ms. Sloan held positions with Affymax Research Institute, a
drug discovery research company, and Ernst & Young, LLP. Ms. Sloan holds a B.S.
in Business Administration from California Polytechnic State University San
Louis Obispo and is a Certified Public Accountant.

La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company is a biotechnology company developing
therapeutics for antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases and inflammation
afflicting several million people in the United States and Europe. The Company
is developing Riquent(R), formerly known as LJP 394, for the treatment of lupus
kidney disease, a leading cause of sickness and death in patients with lupus.
The Company is also developing LJP 1082 for the treatment of antibody-mediated
thrombosis, a condition in which patients suffer from recurrent stroke,
deep-vein thrombosis and other thrombotic events, and is in the early stage of
developing small molecules to treat various other autoimmune and inflammatory
conditions. The Company's common stock is traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market
under the symbol LJPC. For more information about the Company, visit its
website: http://www.ljpc.com.

Except for historical statements, this press release contains forward-looking
statements involving significant risks and uncertainties, and a number of
factors, both foreseen and unforeseen, could cause actual results to differ
materially from our current expectations. Forward-looking statements include
those that express a plan, belief, expectation, estimation, anticipation,
intent, contingency, future development or similar expression. Although our New
Drug Application ("NDA") for Riquent(R) has been accepted by the United States
Food and Drug Administration (the "FDA") for review, there is no guarantee that
the FDA will approve Riquent in a timely manner, or at all. Our analyses of
clinical results of Riquent, previously known as LJP 394, our drug candidate for
the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus ("lupus"), and LJP 1082, our drug
candidate for the treatment of antibody-mediated thrombosis ("thrombosis"), are
ongoing and could result in a finding that these drug candidates are not
effective in large patient populations, do not provide a meaningful clinical
benefit, or may reveal a potential safety issue requiring us to develop new
candidates. The analysis of the data from our Phase 3 trial of Riquent has shown
that the trial did not reach statistical significance with




respect to its primary endpoint, time to renal flare. Although our NDA for
Riquent has been accepted for review by the FDA, the results from our clinical
trials of Riquent may not ultimately be sufficient to obtain regulatory
clearance to market Riquent either in the United States or Europe, and we may be
required to conduct additional clinical studies to demonstrate the safety and
efficacy of Riquent in order to obtain marketing approval. There is no
guarantee, however, that we will have the necessary resources to complete any
additional trial, that we will elect to conduct an additional trial, or that any
additional trial will sufficiently demonstrate the safety and efficacy of
Riquent. Our blood test to measure the binding affinity for Riquent is
experimental, has not been validated by independent laboratories and will likely
be reviewed as part of the Riquent approval process. Our other potential drug
candidates are at earlier stages of development and involve comparable risks.
Analysis of our clinical trials could have negative or inconclusive results. Any
positive results observed to date may not be indicative of future results. In
any event, regulatory authorities may require additional clinical trials, or may
not approve our drugs. Our ability to develop and sell our products in the
future may be adversely affected by the intellectual property rights of third
parties. Additional risk factors include the uncertainty and timing of:
obtaining required regulatory approvals, including delays associated with any
approvals that we may obtain; the clear need for additional financing; our
ability to pass FDA pre-approval inspections of our manufacturing facilities and
processes; the increase in capacity of our manufacturing capabilities for
possible commercialization; successfully marketing and selling our products; our
lack of manufacturing, marketing, and sales experience; generating future
revenue from product sales or other sources such as collaborative relationships;
future profitability; and our dependence on patents and other proprietary
rights. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance upon forward-looking
statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and we undertake no
obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or
circumstances occurring after the date hereof. Interested parties are urged to
review the risks described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2002, and in other reports and registration statements that we file
with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time.

                                       ###