8-K

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)       September 4, 2002
                                                       ----------------------
                         TRIANGLE PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
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             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


       DELAWARE                       000-21589               56-1930728
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(State or other jurisdiction         (Commission            (IRS Employer
    of incorporation)                File Number)         Identification No.)


4 University Place, 4611 University Drive, Durham, North Carolina       27707
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         (Address of principal executive offices)                     (Zip Code)


Registrant's telephone number, including area code        (919) 493-5980
                                                      --------------------------


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








Item 5.  Other Events

         On September 4, 2002, Triangle Pharmaceuticals, Inc. issued a press
release, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1, and is incorporated
herein by reference.


Item 7.  Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(c)      Exhibits.         The following document is incorporated by reference
                           to this Report:

         99.1              Press release dated September 4, 2002.




                                   SIGNATURES

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



                                           Triangle Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
                                    -----------------------------------------
                                                   (Registrant)

       September 24, 2002                        /s/ Chris A. Rallis
- ---------------------------------   -----------------------------------------
            Date                                     (Signature)
                                    Name:  Chris A. Rallis
                                    Title: President and Chief Operating Officer

EX-99.1

                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1

CONTACT:

Mr. Daniel G. Welch                        Mr. Chris A. Rallis
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer       President and Chief Operating Officer
Triangle Pharmaceuticals, Inc.             Triangle Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
(919) 493-5980                             (919) 493-5980
www.tripharm.com                           www.tripharm.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

         TRIANGLE PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. SUBMITS NEW DRUG APPLICATION FOR
                  COVIRACIL(R)FOR THE TREATMENT OF HIV DISEASE

         DURHAM, N.C., SEPTEMBER 4, 2002 -- Triangle Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
(Nasdaq: VIRS) announced today submission of a New Drug Application (NDA) to the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration for marketing approval of Coviracil for the
treatment of HIV disease. Coviracil is a potent, once-a-day Nucleoside Reverse
Transcriptase Inhibitor (NRTI). The NDA includes data from over 2,000 patients
with two pivotal trials comparing Coviracil to two widely prescribed drugs for
HIV disease.



Daniel G. Welch, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Triangle commented,
"The submission of the Coviracil NDA is an important milestone for Triangle.
Early in 2002, we promised to submit the NDA for Coviracil in the third quarter
of 2002. I am pleased to say that we delivered on that promise. We will now
focus our efforts on submitting a Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) in
Europe and on preparing for a successful worldwide launch of Coviracil." He
continued, "We believe that once approved, the potency, once-daily dosing and
pharmacokinetic profile of Coviracil will offer patients and physicians an
important new tool in the management of HIV disease."

Triangle Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a specialty pharmaceutical company engaged in
the development of new antiviral drug candidates, with a particular focus on
therapies for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the hepatitis B virus.
Triangle's proprietary drug candidates under development for HIV and/or
hepatitis B include Coviracil(R) (emtricitabine), amdoxovir (formerly DAPD), and
clevudine (formerly L-FMAU). Triangle is also developing immunotherapies for
hepatitis B in collaboration with Dynavax Technologies Corporation (Dynavax)
utilizing Dynavax' immunostimulatory sequence (ISS) technology. More information
about Triangle's portfolio, management and product development strategy is
available on Triangle's website.

STATEMENTS IN THIS PRESS RELEASE THAT ARE NOT HISTORICAL FACTS ARE
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND ARE SUBJECT TO NUMEROUS RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES,
INCLUDING THE RISK THAT WE MAY NOT SUBMIT OUR COVIRACIL MAA AS PLANNED AND OUR
COVIRACIL NDA OR MAA MAY NOT RECEIVE REGULATORY APPROVAL, OR IF APPROVED,
COVIRACIL MAY NOT ACHIEVE MARKET





ACCEPTANCE OR THE MEDICAL RESULTS WE EXPECT. OTHER RISKS INCLUDE THE FACT THAT
WE MAY BE UNABLE TO OBTAIN ADEQUATE FUNDING TO CONTINUE OUR DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMS, CLINICAL TRIALS FOR OUR DRUG CANDIDATES MAY NOT PROCEED AS PLANNED,
OTHER REGULATORY SUBMISSIONS FOR DRUG CANDIDATES MAY BE DELAYED, WE MAY BE
UNABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE PIVOTAL CLINICAL TRIALS OR OUR TRIALS COULD BE
HALTED OR TERMINATED BY REGULATORY AUTHORITIES, WE MAY BE UNABLE TO
COMMERCIALIZE ISS-BASED THERAPIES DUE TO PATENT RIGHTS HELD BY THIRD PARTIES, WE
MAY BE UNABLE TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL FUNDING, OBTAIN PATENT PROTECTION AND
REQUIRED REGULATORY APPROVALS FOR OUR DRUG CANDIDATES, THE DEVELOPMENT OF
COMPETITIVE PRODUCTS BY OTHERS, THE COST OF COACTIVE THERAPY AND THE EXTENT TO
WHICH COACTIVE THERAPY ACHIEVES MARKET ACCEPTANCE, OUR SUCCESS IN IDENTIFYING
NEW DRUG CANDIDATES, ACQUIRING RIGHTS TO THE CANDIDATES ON FAVORABLE TERMS AND
DEVELOPING ANY CANDIDATES TO WHICH WE ACQUIRE ANY RIGHTS, AND THAT OUR
COLLABORATIONS WITH THIRD PARTIES MAY NOT PROVE SUCCESSFUL. THESE AND OTHER
RISKS ARE DISCUSSED IN DETAIL FROM TIME TO TIME IN OUR FILINGS WITH THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION. AS A RESULT OF THESE AND OTHER RISKS AND
UNCERTAINTIES, ACTUAL RESULTS MAY DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE PREDICTED IN THIS
PRESS RELEASE. TRIANGLE DISCLAIMS ANY OBLIGATIONS TO UPDATE ANY FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS IN THIS PRESS RELEASE.