UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


                                    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): October 5, 2004




                          ENCYSIVE PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



         DELAWARE                      0-20117                  13-3532643
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(State or other jurisdiction         (Commission               (IRS Employer
     of incorporation)               File Number)           Identification No.)



6700 WEST LOOP, 4TH FLOOR, BELLAIRE, TEXAS                        77401
 (Address of principal executive offices)                       (Zip Code)



               Registrant's telephone number, including area code:
                                  713-796-8822


                                 Not Applicable
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         (Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)



Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

[ ] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act
    (17 CFR 230.425)

[ ] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act
    (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the
    Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the
    Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))



ITEM 8.01 OTHER EVENTS.

              On October 5, 2004, Encysive Pharmaceuticals Inc. issued a press
release announcing top-line results from STRIDE-6, a clinical study of
Thelin(TM) (sitaxsentan) in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)
who discontinued treatment with bosentan due to lack of efficacy or for safety
reasons. The data suggests Thelin may provide important benefits to this
challenging patient group. The full text of the press release is furnished
herewith as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.


ITEM 9.01 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.

              (c) Exhibits.

                  99.1     Press Release.






                            [SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]






                                   SIGNATURES


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



                                            ENCYSIVE PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
                                                    (Registrant)

Date:  October 5, 2004

                                               /s/ Stephen L. Mueller
                                      ------------------------------------------
                                                   Stephen L. Mueller
                                      Vice President, Finance and Administration
                                                 Secretary and Treasurer




                                 EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit
Number              Description
-------             -----------

 99.1               Press Release.