SYNAPTIC PHARMACEUTICAL CORP
SC 13G/A, 1999-02-22
COMMERCIAL PHYSICAL & BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


                                   ---------


                    Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                                  SCHEDULE 13G
                                (Amendment No. 2)


             INFORMATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO RULES 13d-1 AND 13d-2
                    UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934



                       Synaptic Pharmaceutical Corporation
                       -----------------------------------
                                (Name of Issuer)


                                  Common Stock
                               -------------------
                         (Title of Class of Securities)



                                    87156R109
                                  -------------
                                 (CUSIP Number)


                                January 31, 1999
            --------------------------------------------------------
             (Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement)


Check the  appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule
is filed:

          |X| Rule 13d-1(b) 
          |_| Rule 13d-1(c) 
          |_| Rule 13d-1(d)


                                     -------



                                Page 1 of 6 Pages



<PAGE>

                                  SCHEDULE 13G

CUSIP No. 87156R109                                            Page 2 of 6 Pages
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1)      NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
        S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

        Gilder Gagnon Howe & Co. LLC
        13-3174112
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2)      CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP                 (a) |_|

                                                                         (b) |_|
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3)      SEC USE ONLY

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4)      CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

        New York
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         5)    SOLE VOTING POWER

        NUMBER                 13,300
                         -------------------------------------------------------
        OF               6)    SHARED VOTING POWER
        SHARES
        BENEFICIALLY           None
                         -------------------------------------------------------
        OWNED BY         7)    SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
        EACH
        REPORTING              None
                         -------------------------------------------------------
        PERSON           8)    SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
        WITH
                               761,600
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9)      AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

        761,600
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10)     CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN
        SHARES                                                              |_|
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11)     PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (9)

        7.1%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12)     TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON

        BD  
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------



                                Page 2 of 6 Pages




<PAGE>

                                  Schedule 13G
                                  ------------

Item 1(a). Name of Issuer:

Synaptic Pharmaceutical Corporation

Item 1(b). Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:

215 College Road
Paramus, NJ  07652

Item 2(a). Name of Person Filing:

Gilder Gagnon Howe & Co. LLC

Item 2(b). Address of Principal Business Office or, if None, Residence:

1775 Broadway, 26th Floor
New York, NY  10019

Item 2(c). Citizenship:

New York

Item 2(d). Title of Class of Securities:

Common Stock

Item 2(e). CUSIP Number:

87156R109

Item       3. If this  statement  is filed  pursuant to  ss.ss.240.13d-1(b),  or
           240.13d-2(b) or (c), check whether the person filing is a:

           (a) |X| Broker or Dealer Registered Under Section 15 of the Act (15 
                   U.S.C. 78o)

           (b) |_| Bank as defined in section 3(a)(6) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78c)

           (c) |_| Insurance  Company as defined in section  3(a)(19) of the Act
                   (15 U.S.C. 78c)

           (d) |_| Investment  Company  registered  under  section  8 of the
                   Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-8)

           (e) |_| Investment     Adviser     in     accordance     with
                   ss.240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E)



                                Page 3 of 6 Pages




<PAGE>

          (f) |_| Employee benefit plan or endowment fund in accordance with
                  ss.240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F)

          (g) |_| Parent  Holding  Company or control  person in  accordance
                  with ss.240.13d-1(b)(ii)(G)

          (h) |_| Savings  Association  as defined in ss.3(b) of the Federal
                  Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813)

          (i) |_| Church plan that is  excluded  from the  definition  of an
                  investment company under ss.3(c)(15) of the Investment Company
                  Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-3)

          (j) |_| Group, in accordance with ss.240.13d-1(b)(ii)(J)

Item 4.    Ownership.

           (a)  Amount beneficially owned:  761,600

           (b)  Percent of class:  7.1%

           (c) Number of shares as to which such person has:

                  (i)  Sole power to vote or to direct the vote:  13,300

                  (ii) Shared power to vote or to direct the vote:  None

                  (iii) Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:  
                        None

                  (iv) Shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of: 
                       761,600

The shares reported include 729,100 shares held in customer  accounts over which
members and/or employees of the Reporting Person have discretionary authority to
dispose  of or direct the  disposition  of the  shares,  19,200  shares  held in
accounts owned by the members of the Reporting  Person and their  families,  and
13,300  shares held in the account of the  profit-sharing  plan of the Reporting
Person ("the Profit-Sharing Plan"). 

Item 5. Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class.

Not applicable.



                                Page 4 of 6 Pages




<PAGE>

Item 6.    Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person.

           The owners of the accounts  (including  the  Profit-Sharing  Plan) in
which the shares reported on this Schedule are held have the right to receive or
the power to direct the receipt of dividends from, or the proceeds from the sale
of, such securities. 

Item 7.    Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which Acquired 
           the Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding Company.

Not applicable.

Item 8.    Identification and Classification of Members of the Group.

Not applicable.

Item 9.    Notice of Dissolution of Group.

Not applicable.

Item 10.   Certification.

           By signing  below I certify  that,  to the best of my  knowledge  and
belief, the securities referred to above were acquired in the ordinary course of
business  and were not acquired for the purpose of and do not have the effect of
changing or  influencing  the control of the issuer of such  securities and were
not acquired in connection  with or as a participant in any  transaction  having
such purposes or effect.




                                Page 5 of 6 Pages




<PAGE>

                                    SIGNATURE
                                    ---------


           After reasonable  inquiry and to the best knowledge and belief of the
undersigned,  the  undersigned  certifies that the information set forth in this
Statement is true, complete and correct.


                                            February 22, 1999
                                            ------------------------------------
                                                     Date


                                            /s/ Walter Weadock
                                            ------------------------------------
                                                     Signature


                                            Walter Weadock, Member
                                            ------------------------------------
                                                     Name/Title



                                Page 6 of 6 Pages





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