SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              Washington, DC 20549


                                   FORM 10-Q/A


Mark One:
 [X]           QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                       For the quarter ended June 30, 1996

                                       OR

[ ]           TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


                         Commission File Number 0-27324


                       SYNAPTIC PHARMACEUTICAL CORPORATION
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


                               Delaware 22-2859704
       (State or other jurisdiction (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
                       of incorporation or organization)

                                215 College Road
                                Paramus, NJ 07652
              (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

                                 (201) 261-1331
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)


    Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports
 required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
    1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the
registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such
                   filing requirements for the past 90 days.

                                    Yes X No



  As of July 25, 1996, there were 7,608,838 shares of the registrant's Common
                               Stock outstanding.


<PAGE>



                                                 EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Form  10-Q/A is being filed  solely for the  purpose of  amending  Exhibits
10.31 and 10.32 to the Quarterly  Report on Form 10-Q for the  quarterly  period
ended June 30, 1996.










                               (i)


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                       SYNAPTIC PHARMACEUTICAL CORPORATION

  INDEX TO QUARTERLY REPORT ON FORM 10-Q/A FOR THE QUARTER ENDED JUNE 30, 1996


                           PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

                                                                         Page
                                                                         ----

Item 6.  Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K                                  1

Signatures                                                                 2

Exhibit Index                                                              3

Exhibits









                                    (ii)


<PAGE>



                           PART II. OTHER INFORMATION


Item 6.  Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K

(a)  Exhibits

Exhibit No.       Description
-----------       -----------

*10.31           Research and License Agreement dated as of May 31, 1996,
                 between the Company and Ciba-Geigy Limited

*10.32           Supplement No. 1 to Research and License Agreement dated as
                 of August 4, 1994, between the Company and Ciba-Geigy
                 Limited

*        Portions of this Exhibit have been  omitted and filed  separately  with
         the Secretary of the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the
         Company's  Application  Requesting  Confidential  Treatment  under Rule
         24b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

(b)      Reports on Form 8-K

On June 20, 1996,  the Company filed a Current Report on Form 8-K describing the
issuance  by the  Company of a press  release  announcing  that the  Company had
entered into a new Research and License Agreement with Ciba-Geigy Limited.

Except for the report  described above, the Company did not file Current Reports
on Form 8-K during the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 1996.








                                    1


<PAGE>



                                 SIGNATURE PAGE


Pursuant to the  requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities  Exchange
Act of 1934,  the  registrant  has duly  caused  this report to be signed on its
behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

                              SYNAPTIC PHARMACEUTICAL CORPORATION
                                        (Registrant)



Date: February 10, 1997      By: /s/ Kathleen P. Mullinix
                                 -----------------------------
                             Name: Kathleen P. Mullinix
                             Title: Chairman, President &
                                     Chief Executive Officer



                             By:/s/ Robert L. Spence
                                 -----------------------------
                             Name: Robert L. Spence
                             Title: Chief Financial Officer &
                                    Treasurer







                                     2


<PAGE>


                       SYNAPTIC PHARMACEUTICAL CORPORATION

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX


                                                                   Page in
Exhibit No.       Description                                    Form 10-Q/A
-----------       -----------                                    -----------

*10.31            Research and License Agreement dated as of
                  May 31, 1996, between the Company and
                  Ciba-Geigy Limited

*10.32            Supplement No. 1 to Research and License
                  Agreement dated as of August 4, 1994,
                  between the Company and Ciba-Geigy Limited

*        Portions of this Exhibit have been  omitted and filed  separately  with
         the Secretary of the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the
         Company's  Application  Requesting  Confidential  Treatment  under Rule
         24b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.







                                   3


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