BIOMARIN PHARMACEUTICAL INC
S-3, 2000-10-27
PHARMACEUTICAL PREPARATIONS
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<PAGE>

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 27, 2000
Registration No. 333-

================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                            -----------------------

                                    FORM S-3
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                          BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.

                (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter

           Delaware                                     68-0397820
(State or other jurisdiction of            (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
incorporation or organization)

                     371 Bel Marin Keys Boulevard, Suite 210
                            Novato, California 94949
                                 (415) 884-6700

                        (Address,    including   zip   code,   and
                     telephone   number,   including   area  code,  of
                         registrant's principal executive offices)
                  -------------------------------------------------
                               Raymond W. Anderson
                             Chief Financial Officer
                          BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.
                     371 Bel Marin Keys Boulevard, Suite 210
                            Novato, California 94949
                                 (415) 884-6700
                  (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,
                         including area code, of agent for service)
                    -------------------------------------------------

                                    Copy to:
                              Siobhan McBreen Burke
                      Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP
                       555 South Flower Street, 23rd Floor
                       Los Angeles, California 90071-2371
                                 (213) 683-6000

   Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to
time after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

   If the only  securities  being  registered  on this  form are  being  offered
pursuant to dividend or interest  reinvestment plans, please check the following
box. |_|
   If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a
delayed or continuous  basis  pursuant to Rule 415 under the  Securities  Act of
1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest
reinvestment plans, check the following box.  |X|
   If this  form is filed to  register  additional  securities  for an  offering
pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box
and list  the  Securities  Act  registration  statement  number  of the  earlier
effective registration statement for the same offering. |_|__
   If this form is a  post-effective  amendment  filed  pursuant  to Rule 462(c)
under the  Securities  Act,  check the following box and list the Securities Act
registration  statement number of the earlier effective  registration  statement
for the same offering. |_|__
   If delivery of the  prospectus  is expected to be made  pursuant to Rule 434,
please check the following box. |_|
<TABLE>

===================================================================================================================================
                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

===================================================================================================================================
                                                     Proposed Maximum        Proposed Maximum
      Title of Each Class of        Amount to be     Offering Price Per      Aggregate Offering             Amount of
   Securities to be Registered       Registered         Share (1)                 Price                   Registration Fee
---------------------------------- --------------- --------------------- ------------------------- --------------------------------
          <S>                        <C>                  <C>                  <C>                             <C>
          Common Stock               4,000,000            $13.69               $54,760,000                     $14,457
---------------------------------- --------------- --------------------- ------------------------- --------------------------------
</TABLE>

 (1) Estimated solely for the purpose of computing the registration fee required
to Section 6(b) of the  Securities  Act and computed  pursuant to Rule 457(c) of
the  Securities  Act,  based on the  average  of the high and low  prices of the
Common Stock on October 25, 2000 as reported on the Nasdaq National Market.

         THE REGISTRANT HEREBY AMENDS THIS  REGISTRATION  STATEMENT ON SUCH DATE
OR DATES AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO DELAY ITS  EFFECTIVE  DATE UNTIL THE  REGISTRANT
SHALL FILE A FURTHER AMENDMENT WHICH SPECIFICALLY  STATES THAT THIS REGISTRATION
STATEMENT SHALL  THEREAFTER  BECOME EFFECTIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 8(a) OF
THE SECURITIES ACT OR UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE ON
SUCH DATE AS THE SECURITIES  AND EXCHANGE  COMMISSION,  ACTING  PURSUANT TO SAID
SECTION 8(a), MAY DETERMINE.

  ==============================================================================
<PAGE>
SF/144040.3

The  information in this  prospectus is not complete and may be changed.  We may
not sell  these  securities  until the  registration  statement  filed  with the
Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer
to  sell  these  securities,  and is  not  soliciting  an  offer  to  buy  these
securities, in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.


                  SUBJECT TO COMPLETION DATED October 27, 2000

                             PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

                                4,000,000 Shares

                          BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.

                                  Common Stock

         This  prospectus  will allow us to issue up to 4,000,000  shares of our
common stock over time. This means:

o   we will provide a prospectus supplement each time we issue
    shares of our common stock;

o   the prospectus  supplement  will inform you about the specific
    terms of the  offering  and also may  add,  update  or  change
    information contained in this document; and

o   you should read this document and any prospectus supplement
    carefully before you invest.





         Our common stock currently trades on the Nasdaq National Market and the
Swiss SWX New Market under the symbol "BMRN."

         See "Risk  Factors"  beginning  on page 4 to read about  risks that you
should consider before buying shares of our common stock.

         Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any other regulatory
body has approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy or
accuracy of this prospectus.  Any  representation  to the contrary is a criminal
offense.

                    The date of this prospectus is __________ , 2000







<PAGE>



                                TABLE OF CONTENTS

Summary  1

The Offering...................................................................2

Risk Factors...................................................................3

Forward Looking Statements....................................................14

Use of Proceeds...............................................................15

Plan of Distribution..........................................................16

Legal Matters.................................................................16

Experts  .....................................................................16


                       WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

         We are a  reporting  company  and file  annual,  quarterly  and current
reports,  proxy statements and other  information with the SEC. You may read and
copy these reports,  proxy statements and other  information at the SEC's public
reference  rooms in  Washington,  D.C.,  New York,  NY and Chicago,  IL. You can
request copies of these documents by writing to the SEC and paying a fee for the
copying cost. Please call the SEC at  1-800-SEC-0330  for more information about
the operation of the public  reference rooms. Our SEC filings are also available
at the SEC's Web site at  "http://www.sec.gov."  In  addition,  you can read and
copy our SEC filings at the office of the  National  Association  of  Securities
Dealers, Inc. at 1735 K Street, Washington, D.C. 20006.

         The SEC allows us to  "incorporate  by reference"  information  that we
file with them, which means that we can disclose important information to you by
referring you to those documents.  The information  incorporated by reference is
an important part of this  prospectus,  and information  that we file later with
the SEC will automatically  update and supersede this information.  Further, all
filings we make under the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934 after the date of the
initial  registration  statement and prior to  effectiveness of the registration
statement shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this  prospectus.
We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and any future filings we
will make with the SEC under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934:

1.      Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999;

2.      Our Definitive Proxy Statement dated April 20, 2000 filed in connection
        with our 2000 Annual Meeting of Stockholders;

3.      Our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31,
        2000, June 30, 2000 and September 30, 2000; and

4.      The description of our common stock set forth in our Amendment No. 4
        Registration Statement on Form S-1, filed with the SEC on July 22, 1999.

         We  will  provide  to you  at no  cost a  copy  of any  and  all of the
information  incorporated by reference into the registration  statement of which
this prospectus is a part. You may make a request for copies of this information
in writing or by telephone. Requests should be directed to:

                          BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.
                          Attention: Investor Relations
                     371 Bel Marin Keys Boulevard, Suite 210
                                Novato, CA 94949
                                 (415) 884-6700


<PAGE>


                                     SUMMARY

         This prospectus contains forward looking statements which involve risks
and  uncertainties.  Our  actual  results  could  differ  materially  from those
anticipated in these forward  looking  statements as a result of certain factors
appearing under "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in this prospectus.

         The following  summary does not contain all the information that may be
important to you. You should read the entire Prospectus, including the financial
statements and other  information  incorporated by reference in this prospectus,
before making an investment decision.

         BioMarin  Pharmaceutical Inc. (BioMarin) is a developer of carbohydrate
enzyme therapies for debilitating,  life-threatening,  chronic genetic disorders
and other  diseases and  conditions.  In April 1999, we completed a twelve-month
patient  evaluation  for the initial  clinical  trial of our lead drug  product,
Aldurazyme(TM), for the treatment of mucopolysaccharidosis-I or MPS-I, a serious
genetic  disorder.  The results were presented at the American Society for Human
Genetics in October 1999. We continue to collect data from the ongoing treatment
of these original  patients.  In September  1998, we established a joint venture
with Genzyme for the worldwide  development and commercialization of Aldurazyme.
Aldurazyme  has received  fast track  designation  for the treatment of the more
severe forms of MPS-I. The U.S. Food and Drug  Administration  (FDA) has granted
Aldurazyme  an orphan  drug  designation  giving us  exclusive  rights to market
Aldurazyme  to treat  MPS-I for seven  years  from the date of FDA  approval  if
Aldurazyme  is the first  product to be approved by the FDA for the treatment of
MPS-I.

         MPS-I is a  life-threatening  genetic  disorder caused by the lack of a
sufficient  quantity of the enzyme  (alpha)-L-iduronidase,  which  affects about
3,400  patients in developed  countries,  including  approximately  1,000 in the
United  States  and  Canada.  Patients  with MPS-I  have  multiple  debilitating
symptoms  resulting from the buildup of carbohydrate  residues in all tissues in
the body. These symptoms  include delayed  physical and mental growth,  enlarged
livers and spleens,  skeletal and joint deformities,  airway obstruction,  heart
disease,  reduced  endurance and pulmonary  function,  and impaired  hearing and
vision. Most children with MPS-I will die from complications associated with the
disease before adulthood.

         Aldurazyme    is    a    specific    form    of    recombinant    human
(alpha)-L-iduronidase     that     replaces    a    genetic     deficiency    of
(alpha)-L-iduronidase  in MPS-I patients. The initial clinical trial treated ten
patients with MPS-I at five medical centers in the United States.  Based on data
collected during the initial twelve-month evaluation period,  Aldurazyme met the
primary  endpoints set forth in the  investigational  new drug  application.  In
addition,  Aldurazyme  demonstrated  efficacy  according  to  various  secondary
endpoints in each of the patients.  In  collaboration  with Genzyme,  we plan to
initiate a Phase III  Confirmatory  Clinical  Trial of  Aldurazyme in the fourth
quarter of 2000 with the intention to file a Biologics License Application (BLA)
with the FDA late in 2001,  pending  the  successful  outcome  of the  Phase III
Confirmatory Trial.

         In August 2000,  our Galli Drive  manufacturing  facility and a smaller
clinical manufacturing  laboratory in our Bel Marin Keys Boulevard facility were
both  subjected to an extensive  inspection by the State of California  Food and
Drug Branch and were granted licenses to produce clinical product.

         We  have  submitted  an   Investigational   New  Drug  Application  for
recombinant human  N-acetylgalactosamine-4-sulfatase also known as arylsulfatase
B or rhASB (formerly  referred to as BM102) and received FDA acceptance to begin
a Phase I/II clinical trial in enzyme replacement therapy for MPS-VI,  which was
initiated on October 11, 2000. MPS-VI, also known as Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome, is
similar in its clinical  symptoms to MPS-I.  However,  MPS-VI does not appear to
have  the   central   nervous   system   involvement   and  mental   retardation
characteristics of the most severe form of MPS-I. We are manufacturing  clinical
bulk rhASB in the Bel Marin Keys  Boulevard  facility.  RhASB has received  fast
track and orphan drug designations by the FDA.

         We have successfully  conducted preclinical studies of our burn enzyme,
BM202,  for use in burn  debridement and grafting in pigs and mice. We expect to
conduct additional  preclinical studies in pigs to establish a starting dose for
treatment in human burn patients.  If these additional  preclinical  studies are
successful,  we plan to submit an Investigational New Drug Application for BM202
in the first quarter of 2001.

         Our  principal  executive  offices  are  located  at 371 Bel Marin Keys
Boulevard,  Suite  210,  Novato,  CA 94949  and our  telephone  number  is (415)
884-6700.
<PAGE>

                                  THE OFFERING
<TABLE>
<S>                                                             <C>
Common stock offered in this prospectus...................... 4,000,000 shares
Common stock outstanding after the offering.................  40,729,025 shares
Use of proceeds.............................................. For operating costs, capital expenditures and working capital
                                                              needs, including costs associated with the regulatory approval,
                                                              manufacturing, and potential commercialization of Aldurazyme;
                                                              for our research and development activities related to our
                                                              pipeline products including recombinant human arylsulfatase
                                                              (rhASB); and other general corporate purposes. See "Use of
                                                              Proceeds."
Nasdaq National Market and SWX New Market symbol............. BMRN
</TABLE>



         The number of shares of common stock outstanding after this offering is
based on the number of shares  outstanding  as of October  25,  2000 and assumes
that we have  issued  all of the  shares of our  common  stock  offered  in this
prospectus, but excludes:

o     4,472,670 shares subject to options  outstanding as of October 25, 2000,
      at a weighted average exercise price of $10.14 per share;

o     1,878,517 additional shares that we could issue under our stock
      option plans; and

o     232,019 additional shares that we could issue under our employee stock
      purchase plan.



















                                       2


<PAGE>
                                  RISK FACTORS

         An  investment  in our common stock  involves a high degree of risk. We
operate in a dynamic and rapidly changing  industry that involves numerous risks
and  uncertainties.  Before  purchasing these  securities,  you should carefully
consider the following risk factors,  as well as other information  contained in
this prospectus or incorporated by reference into this prospectus, in evaluating
an  investment  in the  securities  offered  by this  prospectus.  The risks and
uncertanties  described  below  are not the only ones we face.  Other  risks and
uncertanties,  including those that we do not currently consider  material,  may
impair our business.  If any of the risks discussed  below actually  occur,  our
business,  financial  condition,  operating  results  or  cash  flows  could  be
materially  adversly affected.  This could cause the trading price of our common
stock to decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

If we continue to incur operating  losses for a period longer than  anticipated,
we may be unable to continue our  operations at planned  levels and be forced to
reduce or discontinue operations.

         We are in an early stage of development and have operated at a net loss
since we were  formed.  Since we began  operations  in March 1997,  we have been
engaged  primarily in research and  development.  We have no sales revenues from
any of our drug  products.  As of  September  30,  2000,  we had an  accumulated
deficit of  approximately  $70.1 million.  We expect to continue to operate at a
net  loss at  least  through  2002.  Our  future  profitability  depends  on our
receiving  regulatory  approval  of our  drug  candidates  and  our  ability  to
successfully  manufacture and market any approved drugs,  either by ourselves or
jointly  with  others.  The  extent  of our  future  losses  and the  timing  of
profitability  are  highly  uncertain.  If we fail to become  profitable  or are
unable to sustain  profitability on a continuing basis, then we may be unable to
continue our operations.

         Because  of the  relative  small  size and  scale  of our  wholly-owned
subsidiary,  Glyko,  Inc.,  profits  from  its  products  and  services  will be
insufficient to offset the expenses associated with our pharmaceutical business.
As a result,  we expect that operating losses will continue and increase for the
foreseeable future.

If we fail to obtain the capital  necessary to fund our  operations,  we will be
unable to complete our product development programs.

         In the future, we may need to raise substantial  additional  capital to
fund operations.  We cannot be certain that any financing will be available when
needed. If we fail to raise additional  financing as we need it, we will have to
delay or terminate some or all of our product development programs.

         We expect to continue to spend  substantial  amounts of capital for our
operations for the foreseeable future.  Activities which will require additional
expenditures include:

o    Research and development programs

o    Preclinical studies and clinical trials

o    Process development, including quality systems for product manufacture

o    Regulatory processes in the United States and international jurisdictions

o    Commercial scale manufacturing capabilities

o    Expansion of sales and marketing activities


The amount of capital we will need depends on many factors, including:

o    The progress, timing and scope of our research and development programs

o    The progress, timing and scope of our preclinical studies and
     clinical trials

o    The time and cost necessary to obtain regulatory approvals

                                       3
<PAGE>
o    The time and cost necessary to develop commercial processes, including
     quality systems

o    The time and cost necessary to build our manufacturing facilities and
     obtain the necessary regulatory approvals for those facilities

o    The time and cost necessary to respond to technological and market
     developments

o    Any changes made or new developments in our existing collaborative,
     licensing and other commercial relationships

o    Any new collaborative, licensing and other commercial relationships that
     we may establish

         Moreover,  our fixed expenses such as rent,  license payments and other
contractual  commitments are substantial and will increase in the future.  These
fixed expenses will increase because we may enter into:

o    Additional leases for new facilities and capital equipment

o    Additional licenses and collaborative agreements

o    Additional contracts for consulting, maintenance and administrative
     services

o    Additional contracts for product manufacturing

     We  believe  that the cash,  cash  equivalents  and  short-term  investment
securities  balances  at  September  30,  2000  will be  sufficient  to meet our
operating  and capital  requirements  through  2001.  This  estimate is based on
assumptions and estimates, which may prove to be wrong. As a result, we may need
or choose to obtain additional financing during that time.

If we fail to obtain regulatory approval to commercially manufacture or sell any
of our future drug  products,  or if  approval is delayed,  we will be unable to
generate revenue from the sale of our products.

We must obtain regulatory approval to market our products in the U.S. and
foreign jurisdictions.

         We must obtain regulatory approval before marketing or selling our drug
products.  In the United States,  we must obtain FDA approval for each drug that
we intend to  commercialize.  The FDA approval process is typically  lengthy and
expensive,  and approval is never certain.  Products distributed abroad are also
subject to foreign government regulation. None of our drug products has received
regulatory  approval to be commercially  marketed and sold. If we fail to obtain
regulatory  approval,  we will be unable to market  and sell our drug  products.
Because of the risks and  uncertainties in  biopharmaceutical  development,  our
drug  candidates  could  take a  significantly  longer  time to gain  regulatory
approval than we expect or may never gain  approval.  If regulatory  approval is
delayed,  our  management's  credibility,  the  value  of our  Company  and  our
operating results will be adversely affected.

To obtain regulatory  approval to market our products,  preclinical  studies and
costly and  lengthy  clinical  trials  may be  required  and the  results of the
studies and trials are highly uncertain.

         As part of the  FDA  approval  process,  we  must  conduct,  at our own
expense,  preclinical studies in the laboratory on animals,  and clinical trials
on humans for each drug candidate.  We expect the number of preclinical  studies
and clinical  trials that the FDA will  require will vary  depending on the drug
product,  the disease or  condition  the drug is being  developed to address and
regulations  applicable to the particular  drug. We may need to perform multiple
preclinical  studies using various  doses and  formulations  before we can begin
clinical  trials,  which could  result in delays in our ability to market any of
our  drug  products.  Furthermore,  even  if  we  obtain  favorable  results  in
preclinical  studies on  animals,  the  results  in humans may be  significantly
different.

         After  we  have  conducted  preclinical  studies  in  animals  we  must
demonstrate  that our drug  products  are  safe and  efficacious  for use on the
target human  patients in order to receive  regulatory  approval for  commercial
sale.  Adverse or  inconclusive  clinical  results would stop us from filing for
regulatory approval of our products.  Additional factors that can cause delay or
termination of our clinical trials include:

                                       4
<PAGE>

o    Slow patient enrollment

o    Longer treatment time required to demonstrate efficacy

o    Lack of sufficient supplies of the drug candidate

o    Adverse medical events or side effects in treated patients

o    Lack of effectiveness of the drug candidate being tested

o    Regulatory requests for additional clinical trials

         Typically,  if a drug  product is intended to treat a chronic  disease,
safety and efficacy data must be gathered over an extended period of time, which
can range from six months to three years or more. In addition,  clinical  trials
on humans are typically  conducted in three phases.  The FDA generally  requires
two pivotal clinical trials that demonstrate  substantial evidence of safety and
efficacy and appropriate  dosing in a broad patient population at multiple sites
to support an application for regulatory approval. If a drug is intended for the
treatment of a serious or  life-threatening  condition and the drug demonstrates
the potential to address unmet medical needs for this condition,  fewer clinical
trials  may  be  sufficient  to  prove  safety  and  efficacy  under  the  FDA's
Modernization Act of 1997.

         In April 1999, we completed a twelve-month  patient  evaluation for the
initial clinical trial of our lead drug product,  Aldurazyme,  for the treatment
of MPS-I.  The results were presented at the American Society for Human Genetics
in October 1999. We continue to collect data from the ongoing treatment of these
original patients. The initial clinical trial treated ten patients with MPS-I at
five  medical  centers in the United  States.  Two of the  original ten patients
enrolled  in the  first  clinical  trial of  Aldurazyme  died in 2000.  Based on
medical data collected from clinical  investigative sites, neither case directly
implicated  treatment  with  Aldurazyme as the cause of death.  The data suggest
that one patient died due to a combination of systemic  viral illness,  residual
MPS I coronary  disease,  and  external  factors.  This patient had received 103
weeks of Aldurazyme administration. For the other patient, the data suggest that
the patient died due to  complications  following  posterior  spinal  fusion for
scoliosis. This patient had received 127 weeks of Aldurazyme administration.

The fast track  designation  for  Aldurazyme  may not actually  lead to a faster
review process.

Although Aldurazyme has obtained a fast track designation, we cannot guarantee a
faster review process or faster approval compared to the normal FDA procedures.

We will not be able to sell our products if we fail to comply with manufacturing
regulations.

         Before we can begin  commercial  manufacture  of our products,  we must
obtain  regulatory  approval  of our  manufacturing  facility  and  process.  In
addition,  manufacture  of our drug  products must comply with the FDA's current
Good  Manufacturing  Practices  regulations,  commonly  known as cGMP.  The cGMP
regulations  govern quality control and  documentation  policies and procedures.
Our manufacturing  facilities are continuously subject to inspection by the FDA,
the State of California  and foreign  regulatory  authorities,  before and after
product approval. Our Galli Drive and our Bel Marin Keys Boulevard manufacturing
facilities  have been  inspected  and  licensed by the State of  California  for
clinical pharmaceutical  manufacture.  We cannot guarantee that these facilities
will pass federal or international  regulatory  inspection.  We cannot guarantee
that we, or any potential third-party manufacturer of our drug products, will be
able to comply with cGMP regulations.

         We must pass Federal, state and European regulatory inspections, and we
must manufacture three process qualification batches (five process qualification
batches  for  Europe) to final  specifications  under cGMP  controls  before the
Aldurazyme BLA can be approved.  We cannot ensure that we will  manufacture  the
process  qualification batches or pass the inspections in a timely manner, if at
all.

If we fail to obtain orphan drug  exclusivity for our products,  our competitors
may sell products to treat the same conditions and our revenues may be reduced.

         As part of our business  strategy,  we intend to develop drugs that may
be eligible for FDA orphan drug designation.  Under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA
may  designate a product as an orphan  drug if it is a drug  intended to treat a

                                       5
<PAGE>
rare disease or condition,  defined as a patient population of less than 200,000
in the United  States.  The company  that  obtains the first FDA  approval for a
designated orphan drug for a given rare disease receives  marketing  exclusivity
for use of that  drug for the  stated  condition  for a period  of seven  years.
However,  different  drugs  can be  approved  for the  same  condition.  Similar
regulations are available in the European Union with a ten-year period of market
exclusivity.

         Because the extent and scope of patent protection for our drug products
is limited,  orphan drug designation is particularly  important for our products
that  are  eligible  for  orphan  drug  designation.  We  plan  to  rely  on the
exclusivity  period under the orphan drug  designation to maintain a competitive
position.  If we do not obtain  orphan drug  exclusivity  for our drug  products
which do not have patent protection, our competitors may then sell the same drug
to treat the same condition.

         We received  orphan drug  designation  from the FDA for  Aldurazyme  in
September 1997. In February 1999, we received orphan drug  designation  from the
FDA for rhASB for the treatment of MPS-VI.  Even though we have obtained  orphan
drug  designation for these drugs and even if we obtain orphan drug  designation
for other products we develop,  we cannot guarantee that we will be the first to
obtain marketing  approval for any orphan  indication or that exclusivity  would
effectively  protect  the product  from  competition.  Orphan  drug  designation
neither shortens the development time or FDA review time of a drug so designated
nor gives the drug any advantage in the FDA review or approval process.

Because  the  target  patient  populations  for our  products  are small we must
achieve  significant  market  share and obtain high per  patient  prices for our
products to achieve profitability.

         Our  initial  drug  candidates  target  disorders  with  small  patient
populations.  As a result, our per patient prices must be high enough to recover
our development costs and achieve profitability. For example, two of our initial
drug products in genetic disorders,  Aldurazyme and rhASB,  target patients with
MPS-I and MPS-VI,  respectively.  We estimate that there are approximately 3,400
patients with MPS-I and 1,100  patients with MPS-VI in the developed  world.  We
believe  that we will need to market  worldwide  to achieve  significant  market
share. In addition, we are developing other drug candidates to treat conditions,
such as other  genetic  diseases  and serious burn  wounds,  with small  patient
populations.  We cannot  be  certain  that we will be able to obtain  sufficient
market share for our drug products at a price high enough to justify our product
development efforts.

If we fail to obtain an adequate level of reimbursement for our drug products by
third-party  payors,  there  would be no  commercially  viable  markets  for our
products.

         The course of treatment  for patients  with MPS-I using  Aldurazyme  is
expected to be expensive.  We expect patients to need treatment throughout their
lifetimes.  We expect  that most  families  of  patients  will not be capable of
paying  for this  treatment  themselves.  There will be no  commercially  viable
market for Aldurazyme without reimbursement from third-party payors.

         Third-party payors, such as government or private health care insurers,
carefully  review  and  increasingly  challenge  the price  charged  for  drugs.
Reimbursement  rates from private  companies vary  depending on the  third-party
payor,  the  insurance  plan  and  other  factors.   Reimbursement   systems  in
international   markets  vary  significantly  by  country  and  by  region,  and
reimbursement  approvals  must be obtained  on a  country-by-country  basis.  We
cannot be certain  that  third-party  payors will pay for the costs of our drugs
and the courses of treatment.  Even if we are able to obtain  reimbursement from
third-party payors, we cannot be certain that reimbursement rates will be enough
to  allow us to  profit  from  sales of our  drugs  or to  justify  our  product
development expenses.

         We currently have no expertise  obtaining  reimbursement.  We expect to
rely  on  the  expertise  of  our  joint  venture   partner  Genzyme  to  obtain
reimbursement  for  the  costs  of  Aldurazyme.   We  cannot  predict  what  the
reimbursement  rates  will be.  In  addition,  we will need to  develop  our own
reimbursement  expertise  for  future  drug  candidates  unless  we  enter  into
collaborations with other companies with the necessary expertise.

         We  expect  that in the  future,  reimbursement  will  be  increasingly
restricted both in the United States and internationally. The escalating cost of
health care has led to increased  pressure on the health care industry to reduce
costs.  Governmental  and private  third-party  payors have proposed health care
reforms and cost reductions.  A number of federal and state proposals to control
the cost of health care, including the cost of drug treatments have been made in
the United States. In some foreign markets,  the government controls the pricing

                                       6
<PAGE>
which would affect the profitability of drugs.  Current  government  regulations
and  possible  future  legislation  regarding  health care may affect our future
revenues  from  sales of our drugs and may  adversely  affect our  business  and
prospects.

If we are unable to protect our  proprietary  technology,  we may not be able to
compete as effectively.

         Where appropriate, we seek patent protection for certain aspects of our
technology.  Meaningful  patent  protection may not be available for some of the
enzymes we are  developing,  including  Aldurazyme  and rhASB.  If we must spend
significant time and money protecting our patents, designing around patents held
by others or licensing, for large fees, patents or other proprietary rights held
by others, our business and financial prospects may be harmed.

         The  patent  positions  of  biotechnology   products  are  complex  and
uncertain.  The scope and extent of patent  protection  for some of our products
are particularly uncertain because key information on some of the enzymes we are
developing  has existed in the public domain for many years.  Other parties have
published the  structure of the enzymes,  the methods for purifying or producing
the enzymes or the methods of treatment.  The composition and genetic  sequences
of animal  and/or  human  versions of many of our enzymes,  including  those for
Aldurazyme  and rhASB,  have been published and are believed to be in the public
domain.  The  composition  and genetic  sequences of other MPS enzymes  which we
intend to develop as  products  have also been  published.  Publication  of this
information may prevent us from obtaining  composition-of-matter  patents, which
are generally  believed to offer the strongest  patent  protection.  For enzymes
with no prospect of composition-of-matter patents, we will depend on orphan drug
status to provide us a competetive advantage.

         In addition,  our owned and licensed patents and patent applications do
not ensure the  protection  of our  intellectual  property for a number of other
reasons:

o    We do not know whether our patent  applications will result in
     actual  patents.  For  example,  we may not have  developed  a
     method for treating a disease before others developed  similar
     methods.

o    Competitors may interfere with our patent process in a variety
     of ways.  Competitors may claim that they invented the claimed
     invention prior to us.  Competitors may also claim that we are
     infringing on their patents and therefore  cannot practice our
     technology as claimed under our patent.  Competitors  may also
     contest our patents by showing  the patent  examiner  that the
     invention was not original, was not novel or was obvious. As a
     Company,  we have no meaningful  experience  with  competitors
     interfering with our patents or patent applications.

o    Enforcing patents is expensive and may absorb significant time
     of our  management.  In litigation,  a competitor  could claim
     that our issued patents are not valid for a number of reasons.
     If the court agrees, we would lose that patent.

o    Even if we receive a patent, it may not provide much practical
     protection.  If we receive a patent with a narrow scope,  then
     it will be easier for  competitors to design  products that do
     not infringe on our patent.

         In  addition,   competitors  also  seek  patent  protection  for  their
technology.  There are many  patents in our field of  technology,  and we cannot
guarantee  that we do not infringe on those patents or that we will not infringe
on patents  granted in the  future.  If a patent  holder  believes  our  product
infringes on their patent, the patent holder may sue us even if we have received
patent  protection  for our  technology.  If someone  else claims we infringe on
their technology, we would face a number of issues, including:

o    Defending a lawsuit takes significant time and can be very expensive.

o    If  the  court  decides  that  our  product  infringes  on the
     competitor's  patent,  we may have to pay substantial  damages
     for past infringement.

o    The  court may  prohibit  us from  selling  or  licensing  the
     product  unless the patent  holder  licenses the patent to us.
     The patent holder is not required to grant us a license.  If a
     license is available, we may have to pay substantial royalties
     or grant cross-licenses to our patents.

o    Redesigning  our product so it does not infringe may not be possible or
     could require substantial funds and time.

                                       7
<PAGE>
         It is also  unclear  whether  our trade  secrets  will  provide  useful
protection.  While we use reasonable  efforts to protect our trade secrets,  our
employees  or  consultants  may   unintentionally   or  willfully  disclose  our
information  to  competitors.  Enforcing  a claim that  someone  else  illegally
obtained and is using our trade secrets,  like patent  litigation,  is expensive
and time  consuming,  and the  outcome is  unpredictable.  In  addition,  courts
outside the United States are sometimes  less willing to protect trade  secrets.
Our competitors may  independently  develop  equivalent  knowledge,  methods and
know-how.

         We may also support and collaborate in research conducted by government
organizations  or by  universities.  We cannot guarantee that we will be able to
acquire  any  exclusive  rights to  technology  or products  derived  from these
collaborations.  If we do not  obtain  required  licenses  or  rights,  we could
encounter delays in product  development while we attempt to design around other
patents or even be prohibited from developing, manufacturing or selling products
requiring these licenses. There is also a risk that disputes may arise as to the
rights to technology or products developed in collaboration with other parties.

If our joint  venture  with  Genzyme  were  terminated,  we could be barred from
commercializing  Aldurazyme or our ability to commercialize  Aldurazyme would be
delayed or diminished.

         We are  relying  on  Genzyme to apply the  expertise  it has  developed
through the launch and sale of Ceredase(R) and  Cerezyme(R)  enzymes for Gaucher
disease, a rare genetic disorder,  to the marketing of our initial drug product,
Aldurazyme.  Because it is our initial product, our operations are substantially
dependent upon the  development of  Aldurazyme.  We have no experience  selling,
marketing or obtaining  reimbursement for pharmaceutical  products. In addition,
without Genzyme we would be required to pursue foreign regulatory approvals.  We
have no experience in seeking foreign regulatory approvals.

         We cannot guarantee that Genzyme will devote the resources necessary to
successfully  market  Aldurazyme.  In addition,  either party may  terminate the
joint venture for specified reasons, including if the other party is in material
breach of the  agreement or has  experienced a change of control or has declared
bankruptcy  and  also is in  breach  of the  agreement.  Either  party  may also
terminate the agreement  upon one-year prior written notice for any reason after
the earlier of December  31, 2000 or after the joint  venture has  received  the
FDA's  approval of the BLA for  Aldurazyme.  Furthermore,  we may  terminate the
joint venture if Genzyme fails to fulfill its  contractual  obligation to pay us
$12.1 million in cash upon the approval of the BLA for Aldurazyme.

         Upon  termination of the joint venture one party must buy out the other
party's  interest  in the joint  venture.  The party who buys out the other will
then  also  obtain,  exclusively,  all  rights  to  Aldurazyme  and any  related
intellectual property and regulatory approvals.

         If the joint venture is terminated by Genzyme for a breach on our part,
Genzyme would be granted,  exclusively,  all of the rights to Aldurazyme and any
related intellectual property and regulatory approvals and would be obligated to
buy out our interest in the joint venture.  We would then  effectively be unable
to develop and commercialize  Aldurazyme. If we terminated the joint venture for
a breach by Genzyme,  we would be obligated to buy out Genzyme's interest in the
joint  venture and, we would then be granted all of these  rights to  Aldurazyme
exclusively.   While  we  could  then  continue  to  develop  Aldurazyme,   that
development would be slowed because we would have to divert substantial  capital
to buy out Genzyme's interest in the joint venture. We would then either have to
search for a new partner to  commercialize  the  product  and to obtain  foreign
regulatory approvals or have to develop these capabilities ourselves.

         If the joint venture is terminated by us without  cause,  Genzyme would
have the option,  exercisable  for one year, to immediately buy out our interest
in the joint  venture and obtain all rights to  Aldurazyme  exclusively.  If the
agreement is  terminated  by Genzyme  without  cause,  we would have the option,
exercisable for one year, to immediately buy out Genzyme's interest in the joint
venture and obtain these  exclusive  rights.  In event of termination of the buy
out option without exercise by the non-terminating party as described above, all
right and title to  Aldurazyme  is to be sold to the  highest  bidder,  with the
proceeds to be split equally between Genzyme and us.

         If the joint venture is terminated by us because  Genzyme fails to make
the $12.1 million payment to us upon FDA approval of the BLA for Aldurazyme,  we
would be  obligated  to buy  Genzyme's  interest in the joint  venture and would
obtain all rights to Aldurazyme exclusively.  If the joint venture is terminated
by either party because the other  declared  bankruptcy and is also in breach of
the agreement, the terminating party would be obligated to buy out the other and
would  obtain  all rights to  Aldurazyme  exclusively.  If the joint  venture is
terminated by a party  because the other party  experienced a change of control,
the terminating  party shall notify the other party, the offeree,  of its intent

                                       8
<PAGE>
to buy out the  offeree's  interest in the joint venture for a stated amount set
by the terminating party at its discretion.  The offeree must then either accept
this offer or agree to buy the terminating party's interest in the joint venture
on those same terms.  The party who buys out the other would then have exclusive
rights to Aldurazyme.

         We cannot assure you that if the joint venture were  terminated  and if
we were  obligated,  or given the option,  to buy out Genzyme's  interest in the
joint  venture,  and gain  exclusive  rights  to  Aldurazyme,  that we will have
sufficient  funds to do so or that we will be able to obtain the financing to do
so.  If we fail to buy out  Genzyme's  interest  we may be held in breach of the
agreement  and may lose any claim to the rights to  Aldurazyme  and the  related
intellectual  property and regulatory  approvals.  We would then  effectively be
prohibited from developing and commercializing the product.

         Termination  of the  joint  venture  in which we retain  the  rights to
Aldurazyme  could cause us  significant  delays in product  launch in the United
States,  difficulties  in  obtaining  third-party  reimbursement  and  delays or
failure  to obtain  foreign  regulatory  approval,  any of which  could hurt our
business  and  results  of  operations.  Since  Genzyme  funds  50% of the joint
venture's operating expenses,  the termination of the joint venture would double
our  financial  burden and reduce the funds  available  to us for other  product
programs.

If we are unable to manufacture  our drug products in sufficient  quantities and
at  acceptable  cost,  we may be unable to meet demand for our products and lose
potential revenues or have reduced margins.

         As an organization,  we have no experience  manufacturing drug products
in volumes that will be necessary to support commercial sales. Our manufacturing
process  may not meet  initial  expectations  as to  schedule,  reproducibility,
yields,   purity,   costs,  quality,  and  other  measurements  of  performance.
Improvements in manufacturing  processes typically are very difficult to achieve
and are often very  expensive.  We cannot know with  certainty how long it might
take to make  improvements  if it became  necessary to do so. If we contract for
manufacturing  services with an unproven  process,  our contractor is subject to
the same uncertainties, high standards and regulatory controls.

If we are unable to establish and maintain commercial scale manufacturing within
our planned time and cost  parameters,  sales of our products and our  financial
performance will be adversely affected.

         We may  encounter  problems  with any of the following if we attempt to
increase the scale or size of manufacturing:

o    Design, construction and qualification of manufacturing facilities that
     meet regulatory requirements

o    Production yields

o    Purity

o    Quality control and assurance systems

o    Shortages of qualified personnel

o    Compliance with regulatory requirements

         We have  constructed and built-out a total of 41,200 square feet at our
Novato  facilities for  manufacturing  capability  for Aldurazyme and rhASB.  We
expect to expand the Galli Drive  facility in stages  over time,  which  creates
additional   operational   complexity  and   challenges.   We  expect  that  the
manufacturing process of all of our new products,  including rhASB, will require
lengthy  significant  time and resources before we can begin to manufacture them
(or have them manufactured by third parties) in commercial quantity.  Even if we
can establish the necessary  capacity,  we cannot be certain that  manufacturing
costs will be commercially reasonable,  especially if third-party  reimbursement
is substantially lower than expected.

         In order to achieve our product cost targets we must develop  efficient
manufacturing processes either by:

o    Improving  the product  yield from our current  cell lines,  colonies of
     cells which have a common genetic make-up,

o    Improving the processes licensed from others, or

o    Developing more efficient,  lower cost  recombinant  cell lines and
     production processes.

                                       9
<PAGE>
         A recombinant  cell line is a cell line with foreign DNA inserted which
is used to  produce a protein  that it would not have  otherwise  produced.  The
development  of a stable,  high  production  cell  line for any given  enzyme is
risky,  expensive and  unpredictable  and may not result in adequate yields.  In
addition, the development of protein purification processes is difficult and may
not produce the high purity required with acceptable  yield and costs or may not
result in  adequate  shelf-lives  of the final  products.  If we are not able to
develop  efficient  manufacturing  processes,  the  investment in  manufacturing
capacity sufficient to satisfy market demand will be much greater and will place
heavy  financial  demands upon us. If we do not achieve our  manufacturing  cost
targets,  we will have lower  margins and reduced  profitability  in  commercial
production and larger losses in manufacturing start-up phases.

If we are unable to increase our marketing and  distribution  capabilities or to
enter into  agreements  with third  parties  to do so, our  ability to  generate
revenues will be diminished.

         If we cannot increase our marketing  capabilities  either by developing
our sales and marketing organization or by entering into agreements with others,
we may be  unable  to  successfully  sell  our  products.  If we are  unable  to
effectively  sell our drug  products,  our ability to generate  revenues will be
diminished.

         To increase our distribution and marketing for both our drug candidates
and our Glyko, Inc.  products,  we will have to increase our current sales force
and/or enter into third-party marketing and distribution  agreements.  We cannot
guarantee that we will be able to hire in a timely manner,  the qualified  sales
and marketing personnel we need, if at all. Nor can we guarantee that we will be
able to enter into any marketing or distribution agreements on acceptable terms,
if at all. If we cannot increase our marketing capabilities as we intend, either
by increasing  our sales force or entering into  agreements  with third parties,
sales of our products may be adversely affected.

         Under our joint  venture  with  Genzyme,  Genzyme  is  responsible  for
marketing and distributing Aldurazyme.  We cannot guarantee that we will be able
to establish sales and distribution  capabilities or that the joint venture, any
future collaborators or we will successfully sell any of our drug candidates.

If we fail to compete  successfully,  our revenues and operating results will be
adversely affected.

         Our competitors  may develop,  manufacture and market products that are
more  effective or less  expensive  than ours.  They may also obtain  regulatory
approvals for their  products  faster than we can obtain them,  including  those
products with orphan drug designation, or commercialize their products before we
do. If our  competitors  successfully  commercialize  a product,  which treats a
given rare genetic  disease before we do, we will  effectively be precluded from
developing a product to treat that disease  because the patient  populations  of
the rare  genetic  diseases  are so small.  If our  competitor  gets orphan drug
exclusivity,  we could be precluded  from marketing our version for seven years.
However, different drugs can be approved for the same condition. These companies
also  compete  with us to attract  qualified  personnel  and  organizations  for
acquisitions, joint ventures or other collaborations.  They also compete with us
to attract  academic  research  institutions  as partners  and to license  these
institutions' proprietary technology. If our competitors successfully enter into
partnering   arrangements   or  license   agreements   with  academic   research
institutions,   we  will  then  be  precluded   from  pursuing   those  specific
opportunities.  Since each of these  opportunities is unique, we may not be able
to find a substitute.  Several  pharmaceutical and biotechnology  companies have
already established  themselves in the field of enzyme  therapeutics,  including
Genzyme, our joint venture partner. These companies have already begun many drug
development  programs,  some of  which  may  target  diseases  that we are  also
targeting,  and have already entered into partnering and licensing  arrangements
with   academic   research   institutions,   reducing   the  pool  of  available
opportunities.

         Universities  and public and  private  research  institutions  are also
competitors.  While these  organizations  primarily  have  educational  or basic
research objectives, they may develop proprietary technology and acquire patents
that we may need for the  development of our drug  products.  We will attempt to
license this  proprietary  technology,  if available.  These licenses may not be
available to us on acceptable  terms, if at all. We also directly compete with a
number of these  organizations to recruit personnel,  especially  scientists and
technicians.

         We believe that established  technologies  provided by other companies,
such as  laboratory  and testing  services  firms,  compete  with Glyko,  Inc.'s
products and services. For example, Glyko's FACE(R) Imaging System competes with
alternative   carbohydrate   analytical   technologies,    including   capillary
electrophoresis,  high-pressure  liquid  chromatography,  mass  spectrometry and
nuclear magnetic  resonance  spectrometry.  These competitive  technologies have
established  customer  bases and are more widely used and accepted by scientific

                                       10
<PAGE>
and  technical   personnel  because  they  can  be  used  for   non-carbohydrate
applications.  Companies  competing  with  Glyko  may  have  greater  financial,
manufacturing and marketing resources and experience.

If we fail to manage  our growth or fail to recruit  and retain  personnel,  our
product development programs may be delayed.

         Our rapid growth has strained our  managerial,  operational,  financial
and other resources.  We expect this growth to continue.  We have entered into a
joint venture with Genzyme. If we receive FDA approval to market Aldurazyme, the
joint  venture  will be required to devote  additional  resources to support the
commercialization of Aldurazyme.

         To manage  expansion  effectively,  we need to  continue to develop and
improve our research and  development  capabilities,  manufacturing  and quality
capacities,  sales and marketing  capabilities and financial and  administrative
systems.  We cannot  guarantee  that our staff,  financial  resources,  systems,
procedures  or controls  will be adequate to support our  operations or that our
management will be able to manage  successfully  future market  opportunities or
our relationships with customers and other third parties.

         Our future growth and success depend on our ability to recruit, retain,
manage and motivate our  employees.  The loss of key  scientific,  technical and
managerial  personnel  may  delay  or  otherwise  harm our  product  development
programs.  Any harm to our  research  and  development  programs  would harm our
business and prospects.

         Because of the  specialized  scientific  and  managerial  nature of our
business,  we rely  heavily  on our  ability to  attract  and  retain  qualified
scientific, technical and managerial personnel. In particular, the loss of Grant
W. Denison,  Jr.,  Chairman and Chief Executive Officer or Christopher M. Starr,
Ph.D., Vice President for Research and Development could be detrimental to us if
we cannot recruit suitable  replacements in a timely manner.  Dr. John C. Klock,
our previous President,  resigned effective July 30, 2000. We have engaged in an
intensive  executive  search for a senior  executive to assume Dr. Klock's prior
duties and  responsibilities  and expect to reach an agreement  with a candidate
during the fourth  quarter of this year.  While Mr.  Denison  and Dr.  Starr are
parties to an employment agreement with us, we cannot guarantee that any of them
will remain employed with us in the future. In addition, these agreements do not
restrict their ability to compete with us after their  employment is terminated.
The  competition  for  qualified  personnel  in the  biopharmaceutical  field is
intense.  We cannot be  certain  that we will  continue  to  attract  and retain
qualified personnel necessary for the development of our business.

If product liability lawsuits are successfully  brought against us, we may incur
substantial liabilities.

         We are exposed to the potential product liability risks inherent in the
testing,   manufacturing   and   marketing   of   human   pharmaceuticals.   The
BioMarin/Genzyme  LLC  maintains  product  liability  insurance for our clinical
trials of  Aldurazyme.  We have obtained  insurance  against  product  liability
lawsuits  for the  clinical  trials  for  rhASB.  We may be subject to claims in
connection  with our current  clinical trials for Aldurazyme and rhASB for which
the joint  venture's or our insurance  coverages are not adequate.  We cannot be
certain  that  if  Aldurazyme  receives  FDA  approval,  the  product  liability
insurance  the  joint  venture  will  need to  obtain  in  connection  with  the
commercial  sales of Aldurazyme will be available in meaningful  amounts or at a
reasonable  cost.  In addition,  we cannot be certain  that we can  successfully
defend any product  liability  lawsuit brought against us. If we are the subject
of a  successful  product  liability  claim  which  exceeds  the  limits  of any
insurance  coverage we may obtain,  we may incur  substantial  liabilities which
would adversely affect our earnings and financial condition.

Our stock price may be volatile  and an  investment  in our stock could suffer a
decline in value.

         Our  valuation and stock price since the beginning of trading after our
initial  public  offering  have had no  meaningful  relationship  to  current or
historical  earnings,  asset values,  book value or many other criteria based on
conventional  measures of stock value. The market price of our common stock will
fluctuate due to factors including:

o    Progress  of  Aldurazyme  and our  other  lead  drug  products
     through  the   regulatory   process,   especially   Aldurazyme
     regulatory actions in the United States

o    Results of clinical trials, announcements of technological innovations or
     new products by us or our competitors

                                       11
<PAGE>
o    Government  regulatory action affecting our drug candidates or
     our competitors' drug candidates in both the United States and
     foreign countries

o    Developments or disputes concerning patent or proprietary rights

o    General market conditions for emerging growth and biopharmaceutical
     companies

o    Economic conditions in the United States or abroad

o    Actual or anticipated fluctuations in our operating results

o    Broad market fluctuations in the United States or in Europe may cause the
     market price of our common stock to fluctuate

o    Changes in company assessments or financial estimates by securities
     analysts

         In addition,  the value of our common stock may fluctuate because it is
listed on both the  Nasdaq  National  Market  and the Swiss  Exchange's  SWX New
Market. Listing on both exchanges may increase stock price volatility due to:

o        Trading in different time zones

o        Different ability to buy or sell our stock

o        Different market conditions in different capital markets

o        Different trading volume

         In the past,  following  periods of large price  declines in the public
market price of a company's  securities,  securities class action litigation has
often been initiated against that company.  Litigation of this type could result
in  substantial  costs and diversion of  management's  attention and  resources,
which would hurt our business.  Any adverse  determination  in litigation  could
also subject us to significant liabilities.

Substantial  resales of the common  stock  which may be issued  pursuant to this
prospectus could adversely affect the price of our common stock.

         The maximum  shares  which may be issued  pursuant  to this  prospectus
represents a significant portion of our outstanding common stock. If the persons
acquiring these shares sell all or a substantial  portion of these shares on the
public market in a short period of time, the common stock available for sale may
exceed the demand and the stock price may be  adversely  affected.  In addition,
the mere  perception  that such sales  could  occur may depress the price of our
common stock.

If our officers,  directors and largest stockholder elect to act together,  they
may be able to  control  our  management  and  operations,  acting in their best
interests and not necessarily those of other stockholders.

         Our directors and officers control approximately 11% of the outstanding
shares of our common stock.  Glyko Biomedical,  Ltd. owns 31% of the outstanding
shares of our capital stock. The president and chief executive  officer of Glyko
Biomedical,  the chief financial  officer and director of Glyko Biomedical and a
significant shareholder of Glyko Biomedical serve as our directors. As a result,
due to their concentration of stock ownership,  directors and officers,  if they
act together,  may be able to control our management and operations,  and may be
able to prevail on all matters requiring a stockholder vote including:

o    The election of all directors;

o    The amendment of charter documents or the approval of a merger, sale of
     assets or other major corporate transactions; and

o    The defeat of any non-negotiated takeover attempt that might otherwise
     benefit the public stockholders.

                                       12
<PAGE>
Anti-takeover  provisions in our charter  documents  and under  Delaware law may
make an  acquisition  of us, which may be beneficial to our  stockholders,  more
difficult.

         BioMarin is incorporated in Delaware.  Certain anti-takeover provisions
of Delaware  law and our charter  documents  as  currently  in effect may make a
change in control of our  company  more  difficult,  even if a change in control
would be beneficial to the stockholders.  Our anti-takeover  provisions  include
provisions in the  certificate of  incorporation  providing  that  stockholders'
meetings  may only be called by the board of  directors  and a provision  in the
bylaws  providing that the  stockholders may not take action by written consent.
Additionally, our board of directors has the authority to issue 1,000,000 shares
of preferred  stock and to determine  the terms of those shares of stock without
any  further  action by the  stockholders.  The  rights of holders of our common
stock are subject to the rights of the holders of any  preferred  stock that may
be issued.  The issuance of preferred  stock could make it more  difficult for a
third party to acquire a majority of our outstanding voting stock.  Delaware law
also prohibits  corporations  from engaging in a business  combination  with any
holders  of 15% or more of their  capital  stock  until the  holder has held the
stock for three years unless, among other possibilities,  the board of directors
approves the  transaction.  Our board of directors  may use these  provisions to
prevent  changes in the  management  and  control of our  company.  Also,  under
applicable   Delaware  law,  our  board  of  directors   may  adopt   additional
anti-takeover measures in the future.













































                                       13
<PAGE>
                           FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

         This prospectus contains forward looking  statements.  These statements
relate to future events or our future financial performance.  We have identified
forward looking statements in this prospectus using words such as "anticipates",
"believes,"  "could,"   "estimates,"   "expects,"   "intends,"  "may,"  "plans,"
"potential,"  "predicts,"  "should,"  or "will" or the negative of such terms or
other comparable terminology.  These statements are based on our beliefs as well
as  assumptions  we made using  information  currently  available to us. Because
these  statements  reflect our current views  concerning  future  events,  these
statements   involve  risks,   uncertanties,   and  assumptions.   These  risks,
uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, including the risks outlined under
"Risk Factors," that may cause our or our industry's  actual results,  levels of
activity,  performance or  achievements  to be materially  different from future
results,  levels of actual  activity,  performance or achievements  expressed or
implied by such forward looking statements.

         Although  we believe  that the  expectations  reflected  in the forward
looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of
activity, performance or achievements. Moreover, neither we nor any other person
assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of such statements.  We
are under no duty to update any of the forward looking statements after the date
of this prospectus to conform such statements to actual results, unless required
by law.












































                                       14
<PAGE>
                                 USE OF PROCEEDS

         We cannot  guarantee  that we will receive any  proceeds in  connection
with this offering.

         We intend to use any  proceeds of this  offering,  together  with other
available funds, for the following purposes:

o    To fund our share of costs associated with our joint venture with Genzyme
     for the development and commercialization of Aldurazyme;

o    To fund research and development  including  clinical  trials,
     regulatory  processes,  process  development  and scale-up and
     start-up   of   manufacturing   activities   for   our   other
     pharmaceutical product programs, including rhASB;

o    To fund research, development, clinical and commercial manufacturing
     facilities, including related equipment; and

o    To fund general corporate purposes, including working capital.

         A portion  of the  proceeds  may also be used to  acquire  or invest in
complementary  businesses or products or to obtain  rights to use  complementary
technologies.

         We may require  additional  funds in the 12-month period following this
offering to accelerate product programs or to undertake new initiatives or enter
into collaborative arrangements.

         We have not  identified  precisely the amounts we plan to spend on each
of these areas or the timing of such expenditures.  Accordingly,  our management
will have  siginificant  flexibility  in  applying  such  proceeds.  The amounts
actually  expended  for each  purpose  may  vary  significantly  depending  upon
numerous  factors,  including  the amount and timing of the  proceeds  from this
offering,   progress   with   the   regulatory   approval,   manufacturing   and
commercialization   of  Aldurazyme   and  rhASB  and  progress  with  our  other
development  programs.  In  addition,  expenditures  will also  depend  upon the
establishment of additional collaborative arrangements with other companies, the
availability  of other  financing  and other  factors.  Pending use for these or
other  purposes,  we intend to  invest  the net  proceeds  of this  offering  in
short-term, investment-grade, interest-bearing securities.

         We anticipate that we will be required to raise substantial  additional
capital  to  continue  to  accelerate  product  programs  or  to  undertake  new
initiatives or enter into collaborative arrangements.  Additional capital may be
raised through additional public or private financing,  as well as collaborative
relationships, borrowings and other available sources. See "Risk Factors - if we
fail to obtain the capital necessary to fund our operations we will be unable to
complete our product development programs."




















                                       15
<PAGE>
                              PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

         We may offer the shares of common stock:

o    directly to purchasers;

o    to or through underwriters;

o    through dealers, agents or institutional investors; or

o    through a combination of such methods.

         Regardless of the method used to sell the common stock, we will provide
a prospectus supplement that will disclose:

o    the identity of any underwriters, dealers, agents or investors who purchase
     the securities;

o    the material terms of the distribution, including the amount sold and the
     consideration paid;

o    the amount of any compensation, discounts or commissions to be received by
     the underwriters, dealers or agents;

o    the terms of any indemnification provisions, including indemnification from
     liabilities under the federal securities laws; and

o    the nature of any  transaction  by an  underwriter,  dealer or
     agent  during the  offering  that is intended to  stabilize or
     maintain the market price of the securities.

                                  LEGAL MATTERS

         For the purpose of this  offering,  Paul,  Hastings,  Janofsky & Walker
LLP,  Los  Angeles,  California  is giving an  opinion  of the  validity  of the
issuance of the securities offered in this prospectus.

                                     EXPERTS

         The financial statements included in our Annual report on form 10-K for
the year ended December 31, 1999,  incorporated  by reference in this prospectus
and elsewhere in the registration statement have been audited by Arthur Andersen
LLP,  independent  public  accountants,  as  indicated in their  report(s)  with
respect thereto,  and are included herein in reliance upon the authority of said
firm as experts in giving said reports.























                                       16
<PAGE>
                                     PART II

                     INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

ITEM 14.  OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION

Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee..............       $_______
Legal fees and expenses..........................................       $_______
Accountants' fees and expenses...................................       $_______
Miscellaneous....................................................       $_______
Total............................................................       $_______


The  foregoing  items,   except  for  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission
registration fee, are estimated.

ITEM 15.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

         Reference  is  made  to  the  Amended  and  Restated   Certificate   of
Incorporation with the Registrant; the Bylaws of the Registrant;  Section 145 of
the Delaware General  Corporation Law; which, among other things, and subject to
certain conditions, authorize the Registrant to indemnify, or indemnify by their
terms, as the case may be, the directors and officers of the Registrant  against
certain  liabilities  and expenses  incurred by such persons in connection  with
claims made by reason of their  being such a director  or  officer.  Pursuant to
this  authority,  the Registrant has entered into an  indemnification  agreement
with each director and executive  officer,  whereby the Registrant has agreed to
cover the indemnification obligations.

         The Registrant  maintains  director's and officer's insurance providing
indemnification  against  certain  liabilities  for certain of the  Registrant's
directors, officers, affiliates, partners or employees.

         The  indemnification  provisions in the  Registrant's  Bylaws,  and the
indemnification agreements entered into between the Registrant and its directors
and executive officers,  may be sufficiently broad to permit  indemnification of
the Registrant's officers and directors for liabilities arising under the Act.

         Reference is made to the following documents  incorporated by reference
into this Registration Statement regarding relevant  indemnification  provisions
described above and elsewhere herein:  (1) the Amended and Restated  Certificate
of  Incorporation,  filed as Exhibit  3.1B to  Registrant's  Amendment  No. 2 to
Registration  Statement  on Form S-1  filed  with the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission on July 6, 1999;  (2) the Bylaws of the  Registrant  filed as Exhibit
3.2 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the Securities
and  Exchange  Commission  on May 4,  1999 and (3) the  form of  Indemnification
Agreement  entered  into  by the  Registrant  with  each  of its  directors  and
executive officers filed as Exhibit 10.1 to Registrant's  Registration Statement
on Form S-1 filed with the  Securities  and Exchange  Commission on May 4, 1999,
each incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement.

ITEM 16.  EXHIBITS

          EXHIBIT NO.          DESCRIPTION OF DOCUMENT
          -----------------    -------------------------------------

          5.1*                 Opinion of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, LLP

          23.1*                Consent of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP
                               (consent included in Exhibit 5.1)

          23.2                 Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP

          24.1                 Power of Attorney (included in signature page)
* To be filed by amendment.




                                      II-1
<PAGE>
ITEM 17.  UNDERTAKINGS

         Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act of 1933, may be permitted to directors, officers, and controlling persons of
the Registrant pursuant to the provisions described in Item 15 or otherwise, the
Registrant  has been advised that in the opinion of the  Securities and Exchange
Commission,  such  indemnification  is against public policy as expressed in the
Act,  and  is,  therefore,   unenforceable.  In  the  event  that  a  claim  for
indemnification  against  such  liabilities  (other  than  the  payment  by  the
Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director,  officer,  or controlling
person of the  Registrant  in the  successful  defense  of any action  suit,  or
proceeding) is asserted by such  director,  officer,  or  controlling  person in
connection with the securities being registered,  the Registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit  to a  court  of  appropriate  jurisdiction  the  question  whether  such
indemnification  by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will
be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

         The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

                  (1) To file,  during any  period in which  offers or sales are
                  being made  pursuant to this  registration  statement:  (i) to
                  include any  prospectus  required  by Section  10(a)(3) of the
                  Securities Act of 1933;  (ii) to reflect in the prospectus any
                  facts  or  events  arising  after  the  effective  date of the
                  registration  statement  (or the  most  recent  post-effective
                  amendment  thereof)  which,  individually or in the aggregate,
                  represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in
                  the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any
                  increase or decrease in volume of  securities  offered (if the
                  total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that
                  which was  registered)  and any deviation from the low or high
                  end of the estimated  maximum  offering range may be reflected
                  in the form of prospectus  filed with the Commission  pursuant
                  to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and
                  price  represent  no  more  than a 20  percent  change  in the
                  maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation
                  of  Registration  Fee"  table  in the  effective  registration
                  statement;  (iii) to include  any  material  information  with
                  respect to the  distribution  not previously  disclosed in the
                  registration   statement  or  any  material   change  to  such
                  information in the registration statement;

                  (2) That, for the purpose of determining  any liability  under
                  the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment
                  shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to
                  the  securities  offered  therein,  and the  offering  of such
                  securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
                  fide offering thereof; and

                  (3) To remove from  registration by means of a  post-effective
                  amendment any of the securities  being registered which remain
                  unsold at the termination of the offering.

         The  undersigned  Registrant  hereby  undertakes  that, for purposes of
determining  any liability  under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
Registrant's  annual  report  pursuant to section  13(a) or section 15(d) of the
Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934  that is  incorporated  by  reference  in the
registration  statement  shall  be  deemed  to be a new  registration  statement
relating to the securities offered therein,  and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

         The  undersigned   Registrant  undertakes  that:  (1)  for  purpose  of
determining  any liability  under the Securities  Act of 1933,  the  information
omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of the registration  statement
in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in the form of prospectus  filed by the
Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b) (1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act
shall be deemed to be part of the  registration  statement as of the time it was
declared  effective;  and (2) for the purpose of determining any liability under
the Securities Act of 1933, each  post-effective  amendment that contains a form
of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the
securities  offered  therein,  and the offering of such  securities at that time
shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

                                      II-2
<PAGE>
                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement  to be  signed  on its  behalf  by  the  undersigned,  thereunto  duly
authorized in the City of Novato, State of California, this 27th day of October,
2000.

                 BIOMARIN PHARMACEUTICAL INC.


                 By:     /s/Grant W. Denison, Jr.
                      -----------------------------------------------------
                      Grant W. Denison, Jr.
                      Chairman, and Chief Executive officer (Principal Executive
                      Officer)

         KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE  PRESENTS,  that each person whose  signature
appears below constitutes and appoints Raymond W. Anderson and Grant W. Denison,
Jr., as such persons' true and lawful  attorneys-in-fact  and agents,  with full
power of substitution and  resubstitution,  for such person and in such person's
name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments
(including  post-effective  amendments) to this Registration  Statement,  and to
file the same,  with all exhibits  thereto,  and other  documents in  connection
therewith,  with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any other regulatory
authority,  granting  unto said  attorneys-in-fact  and  agents,  full power and
authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary
to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as such
person might or could do in person,  hereby  ratifying and  confirming  all that
said  attorneys-in-fact  and agents, or such persons' substitute or substitutes,
may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act of  1933,  this
Registration  Statement on Form S-3 has been signed by the following  persons in
the capacities and on the dates indicated:
<TABLE>
<S>                                          <C>                                                          <C>
Signature                                    Title                                                        Date
---------                                    -----                                                        ----

/s/ Grant W. Denison, Jr.
-------------------------
Grant W. Denison, Jr.                        Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Director               October 27, 2000
                                             (Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ Raymond W. Anderson
-------------------------
Raymond W. Anderson                          Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer,            October 27, 2000
                                             Secretary, and Vice President Finance and
                                             Administration (Principal Financial and Accounting
                                             Officer)
/s/ Ansbert S. Gadicke, M.D.
-------------------------
Ansbert S. Gadicke, M.D.                     Director                                                     October 27, 2000

/s/ John C. Klock, M.D.
-----------------------
John C. Klock, M.D.                          Director                                                     October 27, 2000

/s/ Erich Sager
---------------
Erich Sager                                  Director                                                     October 27, 2000

/s/ Gwynn R. Williams
---------------------
Gwynn R. Williams                            Director                                                     October 27, 2000

</TABLE>


                                      II-3
<PAGE>
                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS


 EXHIBIT NO.          DESCRIPTION OF DOCUMENT
 -------------        ----------------------------------------------------------

 5.1*                 Opinion of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, LLP

 23.1*                Consent of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP.
                                             (consent included in Exhibit 5.1)

 23.2                 Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP

 24.1                 Power of Attorney (included in signature page)
* To be filed by amendment.



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