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

    <schemaVersion>X0203</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>3</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2010-11-09</periodOfReport>

    <noSecuritiesOwned>0</noSecuritiesOwned>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000790705</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>TEKELEC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>TKLC</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001113000</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>KENSICO CAPITAL MANAGEMENT CORP</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>55 RAILROAD AVENUE, 2ND FLOOR</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>GREENWICH</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CT</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>06830</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001406639</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Kensico Associates LP</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O KENSICO CAPITAL MANAGEMENT</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>55 RAILROAD AVENUE, 2ND FLOOR</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>GREENWICH</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CT</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>06830</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001442776</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Kensico Partners, L.P.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O KENSICO CAPITAL MANAGEMENT</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>55 RAILROAD AVENUE, 2ND FLOOR</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>GREENWICH</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CT</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>06830</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001442780</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Kensico Offshore Fund, Ltd.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O KENSICO CAPITAL MANAGEMENT</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>55 RAILROAD AVENUE, 2ND FLOOR</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>GREENWICH</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CT</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>06830</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001442782</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Kensico Offshore Fund II Master Ltd.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O KENSICO CAPITAL MANAGEMENT</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>55 RAILROAD AVENUE, 2ND FLOOR</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>GREENWICH</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CT</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>06830</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001442779</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Kensico Capital, LLC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O KENSICO CAPITAL MANAGEMENT</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>55 RAILROAD AVENUE, 2ND FLOOR</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>GREENWICH</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CT</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>06830</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001443560</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Lowenstein Michael Bernard</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O KENSICO CAPITAL MANAGEMENT</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>55 RAILROAD AVENUE, 2ND FLOOR</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>GREENWICH</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CT</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>06830</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001443559</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Coleman Thomas Jason</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O KENSICO CAPITAL MANAGEMENT</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>55 RAILROAD AVENUE, 2ND FLOOR</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>GREENWICH</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CT</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>06830</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>6974844</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>By Funds named in Footnotes</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Consists of (i) 2,412,806 shares of Common Stock directly held by Kensico Associates, L.P. (&quot;KA&quot;), (ii) 2,044,840 shares of Common Stock directly held by Kensico Offshore Fund, Ltd. (&quot;KO&quot;), (iii) 1,641,704 shares of Common Stock directly held by Kensico Partners, L.P. (&quot;KP&quot;) and (iv) 875,494 shares of Common Stock directly held by Kensico Offshore Fund II Master, Ltd. (&quot;KO II&quot;).  The securities reported as directly beneficially owned by KA, KO, KP and KO II may be deemed to be indirectly beneficially owned by Kensico Capital Management Corp., which is the investment manager of each such entity and has voting and investment control over the securities held by each such entity. The securities reported as directly beneficially owned by KA and KP may also be deemed to be indirectly beneficially owned by Kensico Capital, L.L.C.,  which is the sole general partner of KA and KP.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Thomas Jason Coleman and Michael Bernard Lowenstein are the controlling shareholders of Kensico Capital Management Corp. and managing members of Kensico Capital, L.L.C., and may therefore also be deemed to indirectly beneficially own the securities directly beneficially owned by KO, KO II, KA and KP.  Pursuant to Instruction 5(b)(iv) of Form 3, Kensico Capital Management Corp., Kensico Capital, L.L.C., Thomas Jason Coleman and Michael Bernard Lowenstein have elected to report as indirectly beneficially owned the entire number of securities owned by KO, KO II, KA and KP, but each of them disclaims beneficial ownership of any securities, and any proceeds thereof, that exceed its or his pecuniary interest therein and/or that are not actually distributed to it or him.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Michael Bernard Lowenstein, Director of Kensico Capital Management Corp., LLC</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2010-11-17</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Michael Bernard Lowenstein, Managing Member of Kensico Capital, L.L.C., General Partner of Kensico Associates, L.P.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2010-11-17</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Michael Bernard Lowenstein, Managing Member of Kensico Capital, L.L.C., General Partner of Kensico Partners, L.P.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2010-11-17</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Michael Bernard Lowenstein, Director of Kensico Capital Management Corp., Investment Manager of Kensico Offshore Fund, Ltd.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2010-11-17</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Michael Bernard Lowenstein, Director of Kensico Capital Management Corp., Investment Manager of Kensico Offshore Fund II Master, Ltd.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2010-11-17</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Michael Bernard Lowenstein, Managing Member of Kensico Capital, L.L.C.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2010-11-17</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Michael Bernard Lowenstein</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2010-11-17</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Thomas Jason Coleman</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2010-11-17</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
