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 September 30, 2002

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

                                 (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,  as amended,  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 November 1, 2002,  there were 10,977,790  shares of the  registrant's
Common Stock outstanding.


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                                EXPLANATORY NOTE

     This Form 10-K/A is being filed solely for the purpose of replacing Exhibit
99.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended September
30, 2002.




















<PAGE>


                       SYNAPTIC PHARMACEUTICAL CORPORATION
     INDEX TO REPORT ON FORM 10-K/A FOR FISCAL QUARTRT ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2002



                                     Part II

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















                                      (i)

<PAGE>

Item 6.  Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K


(a)       Exhibits

10.1     Employment agreement, dated as of September 9, 2002,between the Company
         and Dr. Errol B. De Souza, previously filed

10.2     Incentive Stock Option Agreement, dated as of September 9, 2002,between
         the Company and Dr. Errol B. De Souza, previously filed

10.3     Nonqualified  Stock Option  Agreement,  dated as of September  9, 2002,
         between the Company and Dr. Errol B. De Souza,  previously filed

10.4     Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement relating to non-plan options, dated
         as of September 9, 2002, between the Company and Dr. Errol B. De Souza,
         previously filed

99.1     Certification Pursuant to Section 906 of Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002


(b)      Reports on Form 8-K

     The Company  filed a Current  Report on Form 8-K during the fiscal  quarter
ended September 30, 2002 relating to a Certification  Pursuant to Section 906 of
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 certifying information in the June 30, 2002 10-Q.