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 23, 2002

                               Aphton Corporation
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             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



      Delaware                     0-19122                      95-3640931
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   (State or Other         (Commission File Number)         (I.R.S. Employer
   Jurisdiction of                                        Identification Number)
    Incorporation)

              80 SW Eighth Street, Suite 2160, Miami, Florida 33130
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               (Address of principal executive offices) (zip code)

                                 (305) 374-7338
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              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)


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          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)



<PAGE>
ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS.

     On September 23, 2002,  Aphton  Corporation (the "Company")  announced that
the Food and Drug  Administration (the "FDA") has reviewed the Company's request
for Fast Track  designation  for its G17DT  (anti-gastrin)  immunogen  under its
Investigational  New  Drug  Application  to  treat  pancreatic  cancer  patients
together  with the  chemotherapy  gemcitabine  and  concluded  that it meets the
criteria for Fast Track  designation.  The Company announced on August 19, 2002,
that it had filed an application with the FDA for this designation.

     Fast Track is a formal  mechanism to interact with the FDA using approaches
that are available to all applicants for marketing claims.  The benefits of Fast
Track include scheduled  meetings to seek FDA input into development  plans, the
option  of  submitting  a New  Drug  Application  in  sections  rather  than all
components  simultaneously,  and the option of requesting  evaluation of studies
using  surrogate  endpoints.  The Fast Track  designation  is  intended  for the
combination  of a product and a claim that  addresses an unmet medical need, but
is independent of the FDA's priority review and accelerated approval mechanisms.


ITEM 7.   EXHIBITS.

          (c)  Exhibits.

               99.1      Text of Press  Release of the Company  dated  September
                         23, 2002.

<PAGE>
                                    SIGNATURE

     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the  Securities and Exchange Act of 1934,
the  registrant  has duly  caused  this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.



                                        APHTON CORPORATION
                                        (Registrant)

                                        By:    /s/ Frederick W. Jacobs
                                           -------------------------------------
                                           Name:   Frederick W. Jacobs
                                           Title:  Vice President, Chief
                                                   Financial Officer, Treasurer
                                                   and Chief Accounting Officer

Dated: September 23, 2002

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