<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0303</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2009-03-02</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000815838</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>NOVEN PHARMACEUTICALS INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>NOVN</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001218321</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>OSS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>598 MADISON AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10022</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001430686</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Schafer Brother LLC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>598 MADISON AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10022</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001135943</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>SCHAFER OSCAR</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>598 MADISON AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10022</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001430370</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Goffe Andrew J.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>598 MADISON AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10022</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock ($.0001 par value)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2009-03-02</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>529</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>9.65</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>2730868</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See Footnote</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">This Form 4 is being filed to report that O.S.S. Capital Management LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the &quot;Investment
 Manager&quot;), Schafer Brothers LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (&quot;SB LLC&quot;), Mr. Oscar S. Schafer (&quot;Mr. Schafer&quot;) and
 Mr. Andrew Goffe (&quot;Mr. Goffe&quot;, collectively with the Investment Manager, SB LLC and Mr. Shafer, the &quot;Reporting Persons&quot;)
 have sold 529 shares of Noven Pharmaceuticals Inc. common stock.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">The Reporting Persons have investment discretion with respect to securities held by a Cayman Islands exempted company
 and two Delaware limited partnerships as more fully described in the Form 3 filed on July 16, 2007 (Accession Number:
 0000902664-07-002296), the Form 4 filed on August 8, 2007 (Accession Number: 0000902664-07-002474), the Form 4 filed on
 August 14, 2007 (Accession Number 0000902664-07-002630), the Form 4 filed on September 12, 2007 (Accession Number
 0000902664-07-002795), the Form 4 filed on September 14, 2007 (Accession Number 0000902664-07-002815), the Form 4 filed on
 September 17, 2007 (Accession Number 0000902664-07-002830), the Form 4 filed on October 2, 2007 (Accession Number
 0000902664-07-002925), the Form 4 filed on March 17, 2008 (Accession Number: 0000902664-08-001576), the Form 4 filed on
 March 31, 2008 (Accession Number 0000902664-08-001729), the Form 4 filed on October 31, 2008 (Accession Number:
 0000902664-08-003101).</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">(Footnote 2 cont'd) the Form 4 filed on December 29, 2008 (Accession Number: 0000902664-08-003465), the Form 4 filed on
 December 31, 2008 (Accession Number: 0000902664-08-003494), the Form 4 filed on January 5, 2009 (Accession Number:
 0000902664-09-000011), the Form 4 filed on January 7, 2009 (Accession Number: 0000902664-09-000023), the Form 4 filed on
 January 9, 2009 (Accession Number: 0000902664-09-000039), the Form 4 filed on January 13, 2009 (Accession Number:
 0000902664-09-000050), the Form 4 filed on January 21, 2009 (Accession Number: 0000902664-09-000134), the Form 4 filed on
 January 29, 2009 (Accession Number: 0000902664-09-000233), the Form 4 filed on February 2, 2009 (Accession Number:
 0000902664-09-000284), the Form 4 filed on February 17, 2009 (Accession Number: 0000902664-09-000924), the Form 4 filed on
 February 19, 2009 (Accession Number: 0000902664-09-001041) and the Form 4 filed on February 23, 2009 (Accession Number:
 0000902664-09-001048).</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Each of the Reporting Persons may be deemed to beneficially own 2,730,868 shares of common stock, which represent,
 together, approximately 11.0% of the outstanding shares of common stock.  Each of the Reporting Persons disclaims beneficial
 ownership of the securities included in this report and this report shall not be deemed an admission that any of the
 Reporting Persons is the beneficial owner of such securities for purposes of Section 16 or for any other purpose, except to
 the extent of such person's pecuniary interest therein.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Oscar S. Schafer, Senior Managing Member of Schafer Brothers LLC, the general partner of O.S.S. Capital Management L.P.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2009-03-04</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
