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

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                                  SCHEDULE 13D

                    Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                                (Amendment No. 1)

                          NEUROCRINE BIOSCIENCES, INC.
                                (Name of Issuer)

                           Common Stock, No Par Value
                         (Title of Class of Securities)

                                    64125C109
                                 (CUSIP Number)

                               Wayne P. Merkelson
                              Novartis Corporation
                                556 Morris Avenue
                              Summit, NJ 07901-1398
                            Telephone: (908) 277-2502
                     (Name, Address and Telephone Number of
                    Person Authorized to Receive Notices and
                                 Communications)

                                    Copy to:

                                David W. Heleniak
                               Shearman & Sterling
                              599 Lexington Avenue
                            New York, New York 10022
                            Telephone: (212) 848-4000

                                   May 9, 1997
             (Date of Event which Requires Filing of this Statement)
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report
the acquisition which is the subject of this Schedule 13D, and is filing this
schedule because of Rule 13d-1(b)(3) or (4), check the following box |_|.






CUSIP No. 64125C109

(1)      Name of Reporting Person
         S.S. or I.R.S. Identification No. of Above Person
                  Novartis AG
         -----------------------------------------------------------------------

(2)      Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of Group (See Instructions)

|_|      (a)
            --------------------------------------------------------------------

|_|      (b)
            --------------------------------------------------------------------

(3)      SEC Use Only
                     -----------------------------------------------------------
            --------------------------------------------------------------------

(4)      Sources of Funds (See Instructions) OO
                                             -----------------------------------
            --------------------------------------------------------------------

(5)      Check if Disclosure of Legal Proceedings is Required Pursuant to Items
         2(d) or 2(e).
            --------------------------------------------------------------------

(6)      Citizenship or Place of Organization  Switzerland
                                               ---------------------------------

Number of         (7)      Sole Voting Power   1,121,353
Shares                                       -----------------------------------
Beneficially      (8)      Shared Voting Power   342,559
Owned by                                       ---------------------------------
Each              (9)      Sole Dispositive Power     1,121,353
Reporting                                           ----------------------------
Person            (10)     Shared Dispositive Power   342,559
With                                                ----------------------------
- ----                       -----------------------------------------------------

(11)     Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person  1,463,912
                                                                      ----------

(12)     Check if the Aggregate Amount in Row (11) Excludes Certain Shares (See
         Instructions)
         -----------------------------------------------------------------------


(13)     Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (11)
           8.6%
         -----------------------------------------------------------------------

(14)     Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions) CO
                                                     ---------------------------





CUSIP No. 64125C109

(1)      Name of Reporting Person
         S.S. or I.R.S. Identification No. of Above Person
                  Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(2)      Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of Group (See Instructions)

|_|      (a)
            --------------------------------------------------------------------

|_|      (b)
            --------------------------------------------------------------------

(3)      SEC Use Only
                     -----------------------------------------------------------
            --------------------------------------------------------------------

(4)      Sources of Funds (See Instructions) OO
                                             -----------------------------------
            --------------------------------------------------------------------

(5)      Check if Disclosure of Legal Proceedings is Required Pursuant to Items
         2(d)or 2(e).
            --------------------------------------------------------------------

(6)      Citizenship or Place of Organization  Delaware
                                               ---------------------------------

Number of         (7)      Sole Voting Power   -0-
Shares                                       -----------------------------------
Beneficially      (8)      Shared Voting Power   342,559
Owned by                                       ---------------------------------
Each              (9)      Sole Dispositive Power     -0-
Reporting                                           ----------------------------
Person            (10)     Shared Dispositive Power   342,559
With                                                ----------------------------
- ----                       -----------------------------------------------------

(11)     Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person  1,463,912
                                                                     -----------

(12)     Check if the Aggregate Amount in Row (11) Excludes Certain Shares (See
         Instructions)
            --------------------------------------------------------------------

(13)     Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (11)
            8.6%
            --------------------------------------------------------------------

(14)     Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions) CO
                                                     ---------------------------





CUSIP NO. 64125C109                                                 SCHEDULE 13D

Item 1.  Security and Issuer

                  This Amendment No. 1 amends the Statement on Schedule 13D (the
"Schedule 13D") filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 10,
1996 by Ciba-Geigy Limited. This Amendment No. 1 to Schedule 13D relates to
shares of common stock, no par value (the "Common Stock"), of Neurocrine
Biosciences, Inc. (the "Issuer"). The principal executive office and mailing
address of the Issuer is 3050 Science Park Road, San Diego, California 92121.
The following amendments to Items 1, 2, 3 and 5 and Schedules I and II of the
Schedule 13D are hereby made. Unless otherwise defined herein, all capitalized
terms shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Schedule 13D.

Item 2.  Identity and Background.

         Item 2 of the Schedule 13D is amended as follows:

                  Novartis AG ("Novartis") is the successor by merger to
Ciba-Geigy Limited resulting from the merger of Sandoz Ltd. and Ciba-Geigy
Limited into Novartis on December 20, 1996. The principal offices of Novartis
are located at Schwarzwaldallee 215, CH-4002, Basel, Switzerland. The principal
business of Novartis is Life Sciences, which includes pharmaceuticals, consumer
health and vision care products, agribusiness (including crop protection, animal
health and seeds) and nutrition products.

                  Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation is an indirect wholly
owned subsidiary of Novartis. The principal offices of Novartis Pharmaceuticals
Corporation are located at 59 Route 10, East Hanover, New Jersey 07936. The
principal business of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation is the development,
marketing and sales of pharmaceutical products.

                  Neither Novartis nor, to the best knowledge of Novartis, any
of the persons listed on Schedule I or Schedule II hereto during the past five
years has been convicted of any criminal proceeding of a judicial or
administrative body of competent jurisdiction and as a result of such proceeding
was or is subject to a judgement, decree or final order enjoining future
violations of, or prohibiting or mandating activities subject to federal or
state securities laws or finding any violation with respect to such laws.

Item 3.  Source and Amount of Funds or other Consideration.

                  On May 9, 1997, as part of a distribution from Avalon Medical
Partners, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation received 342,559 shares of Common
Stock of the Issuer. Avalon Medical Partners is an investment partnership in
which Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation had a 50% interest.





CUSIP NO. 64125C109                                                 SCHEDULE 13D

Item 5.  Interest in Securities of the Issuer.

                  (a) Novartis beneficially owns 1,121,353 shares of Common
Stock and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation owns 342,559 shares of Common
Stock. Together the shares of Common Stock held by Novartis and Novartis
Pharmaceuticals Corporation constitute approximately 8.6% of the outstanding
Common Stock of the Issuer.

                  (b) Novartis has sole power to vote and dispose of 1,121,353
shares of Common Stock owned by it. Novartis and Novartis Pharmaceuticals
Corporation share power to vote and dispose of 342,559 shares of Common Stock.

                  (c) Neither Novartis, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation,
nor, to the best knowledge of Novartis and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation,
any of the persons listed on Schedules I and II hereto, has effected any
transaction in the Common Stock in the past 60 days.

                  (d) No person other than the record owners referred to herein
is known to have the right to receive or the power to direct the receipt of
dividends from or proceeds of the sale of shares of Common Stock.

                  (e)      Not applicable.






                                    SIGNATURE

         After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.

Dated:  January 21, 1998                 NOVARTIS AG


                                           By /s/ Urs Barlocher
                                              ---------------------------------
                                              Name:  Urs Barlocher
                                              Title: General Counsel




                                           By /s/ Christoph Maeder
                                              ---------------------------------
                                              Name:  Christoph Maeder
                                              Title: Senior Corporate Counsel






                                    SIGNATURE

         After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.

                                           NOVARTIS PHARMACEUTICALS
                                           CORPORATION


                                           By /s/ Kenneth Schuster
                                              ---------------------------------
                                              Name:  Kenneth Schuster
                                              Title: Vice President & Controller






                                   SCHEDULE I

                  Members of the Board of Directors, the Committee of the Board
of Directors and the Executive Committee of Novartis AG.

Name and Business Address Citizenship Principal Occupation - ------------------------- ----------- -------------------- Dr. Alex Krauer Switzerland Chairman of the Board of Novartis AG Novartis AG 1956 - Present: Novartis AG CH-4002 Basle (formerly Ciba-Geigy Ltd.) Switzerland Dr. Daniel Lucius Vassella Switzerland President and Chief Executive Novartis AG Officer of Novartis AG CH-4002 Basel 1988 - 1996: Various functions at Switzerland Sandoz AG Hans-Joerg Rudloff Germany Vice Chairman of Novartis AG McCook & Cie 1980 - 1994: Banker at Credit Suisse 1st Floor First Boston 7 Rue de Alpes 1994 - Present: MC-BBC Group 1201 Geneva Switzerland
Name and Business Address Citizenship Principal Occupation - ------------------------- ----------- -------------------- Prof. Dr. Helmut Sihler Austria Vice Chairman of Novartis AG c/o Henkel KGaA Currently Retired. D. 40191 Dusseldorf June 1985-1993: Member of Germany the Supervisory Board, Adam Opel AG Since 1983: Member of the Supervisory Board of Allianz Lebensversicherungs-AG April 1991 - Present: Chairman of the Supervisory Board Degussa AG 1995-1996: Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Post AG 1996 - Present: Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Telekom AG 1991-1995: Member of the Shareholder's Committee of Freudenberg & Co. 1992-1997: Member of the Board of Directors of Guiness PLC Since 1992: Member of the Shareholder's Committee of Henkel KGaA 1992-1996: Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Infratest Burke AG 1992-1997: Member of the Supervisory Board of Leipziger Messe GmbH Since March 1993: Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche AG Prof. Dr. Duilio Arigoni Switzerland Member of the Board of Directors of LOC ETH-Z Universitat Str. 16 Novartis AG Zurich CH-8002 1961 - Present: Professor of Switzerland Chemistry at ETH Zurich Birgit Breuel Germany Member of the Board of Directors of c/o Expo 2000 Hannover GmbH Novartis AG Thurnithistr 2 1995-Present: Commissioner General 30519 Hannover of Expo 2000 Germany 1991-1994: President of Treuhandanstalt Prof. Dr. Peter Burckhardt Switzerland Member of the Board of Directors of University Hospital-CHUV Novartis AG 1011 Lausanne 1981 - Present: Chief of Medicine and Switzerland Professor at CHUV
Name and Business Address Citizenship Principal Occupation - ------------------------- ----------- -------------------- Dr. h.c. Kaspar Cassani Switzerland Member of the Board of Directors of Haldenstr. 53 Novartis AG 8142 Uitikon Retired since 1989 Switzerland Dr. Hans-Ulrich Dorig Switzerland Member of the Board of Directors of Credit Suisse First Boston Novartis AG P.O. Box 900 Jan 1997-Present: Chief Executive CH-8070 Zurich Officer of Credit Suisse First Boston Switzerland 1973 - 1997: Banker at Credit Suisse First Boston (formerly CreditSuisse) Walter G. Frehner Switzerland Member of the Board of Directors of Inzlingerstrasse 276 Novartis AG CH-4125 Riehen Retired since 1996 Until 1996: Banker at Swiss Bank Corporation Robert L. Genillard Switzerland Member of the Board of Directors of 1, quai du Mont-Blanc Novartis AG CH-1211 Geneva 1 1992 - Present: Corporate director of Switzerland Clariden Bank, Credit Suisse Group and TBG Holdings NV Alexandre F. Jetzer Switzerland Member of the Board of Directors of Novartis AG Novartis AG CH-4002 Basel 1995 - Jan 1996: Vice-Chairman and Switzerland CEO of Sandoz Corp (New York) and Chairman and CEO of Sandoz Pharmaceuticals Corporation (East Hanover, NJ) 1981 - 1995: Member of the Corporate Executive Committee of Sandoz AG Pierre Landolt Switzerland Member of the Board of Directors of Fazenda Tamandra Novartis AG Patos-PB 58700-970 Since 1997: Chairman of Banco Axial S.A. Brazil Since 1995: Chairman of Citco Since 1994: General Manager of Sandoz Family Foundation Heini Lippuner Switzerland Member of the Board of Directors of Novartis AG Novartis AG CH-4002 Basel Until April 1996: President and COO Switzerland of Ciba-Geigy AG Prof. Dr. William J. Rutter United States Member of the Board of Directors of Chiron Corporation Novartis AG 4560 Horton Street 1981 - Present: Chairman of Chiron Emeryville, CA 94608 Corporation Director of Novartis AG
Name and Business Address Citizenship Principal Occupation - ------------------------- ----------- -------------------- Dr. Jean Wander Switzerland Member of the Board of Directors of Bollwerk 21 Novartis AG P.O. Box 1037 Since 1985: Tax and Legal Counsel CH-3001 Bern 1981 - Present: Director of Berner Switzerland Tagblatt Medien AG Dr. Raymund Breu Switzerland 1993 - Present: Chief Financial Novartis AG Officer of Novartis AG (formerly CH-4002 Basel Sandoz AG) Switzerland Dr. Hans Kindler Switzerland 1992- Present: Member of the Executive Novartis AG Committee of Novartis AG (formerly CH-4002 Basel Ciba-Geigy AG) Switzerland Pierre E. Douaze France 1992-1997: Member of the Executive Novartis Committee and Head of Healthcare CH-4002 Basel Division and Pharma Sector of Switzerland Novartis AG (formerly Ciba-Geigy AG) Dr. Wolfgang Samo Switzerland 1992 - Present: Head of Agribusiness Novartis AG Novartis AG (formerly Ciba-Geigy CH-4002 Basel AG) Switzerland David E. Pyott England 1995 - Dec 1997: Head of Nutrition Novartis AG Division of Novartis AG (formerly CH-4002 Basel Sandoz AG) Switzerland
SCHEDULE II Members of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.
Name and Business Address Citizenship Principal Occupation - ------------------------- ----------- -------------------- Pierre E. Douaze France Chairman of the Board of Directors of Novartis Pharma AG Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation Lichtstrasse 35 1992-1997: Member of the Executive CH-4002 Basel Committee and Head of Healthcare Switzerland Division and Pharma Sector of Novartis AG (formerly Ciba-Geigy AG) Douglas G. Watson United States Vice Chairman of the Board of Novartis Corporation Directors of Novartis 564 Morris Avenue Pharmaceuticals Corporation Summit, NJ 07901 1996-Present: CEO of Novartis Corporation (formerly Ciba-Geigy Corporation) Dr. Raymund Breu Switzerland Member of the Board of Directors of Novartis AG Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation CH-4002 Basel 1993-Present: Chief Financial Officer Switzerland of Novartis AG (formerly Sandoz AG) Dr. Claude A. Dulex Switzerland Member of the Board of Directors of Novartis Finance Corp. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation 608 Fifth Avenue 1996-Present: Chief Financial Officer New York, NY 10020 of Novartis Finance Corporation 1990-1996: Chief Financial Officer of Siegfried AG Dr. Paul L. Herrling Switzerland Member of the Board of Directors of Novartis Pharma AG Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation CH-4002 Basel 1995-Present: Head of Global Switzerland Research Novartis Pharma Research (formerly Sandoz Pharma)
Name and Business Address Citizenship Principal Occupation - ------------------------- ----------- -------------------- Wayne P. Yetter United States President and CEO and Member of the Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation Board of Directors of Novartis 59 Route 10 Pharmaceuticals Corporation East Hanover, NJ 07936 1977-1996: Various positions at Astra Merck Inc. John Symon Australia Member of the Board of Directors of Novartis Novartis Pharma AG Pharmaceuticals Corporation CH-4002 Basel 1997 - Present: Head of Finance and Switzerland I.T. of Novartis Pharma AG 1992-1997: Sandoz (India) Limited Atef Adley Canada Vice President of Novartis Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation Pharmaceuticals Corporation 59 Route 10 1995-1996: Head of Technical East Hanover, NJ 07936 Operations International at Ciba-Geigy Limited 1984-1995: Vice President at Ciba-Geigy Canada Ltd. George Beagley Canada Vice President of Novartis Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation Pharmaceuticals Corporation 59 Route 10 1979-1996: Vice President of East Hanover, NJ 07936 Ciba-Geigy David Epstein United States Vice President of Novartis Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation Pharmaceuticals 59 Route 10 1989-1996: General Manager at East Hanover, NJ 07936 Sandoz Pharmaceuticals Corporation Daniel O. Hauser Switzerland Senior Vice President of Novartis Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation Pharmaceuticals Corporation 59 Route 10 1992-1996: Senior Vice President of East Hanover, NJ 07936 Sandoz Pharmaceuticals Corporation Edward F. Heimers, Jr. United States 1987-Present: Senior Vice President of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation Novartis Pharmaceuticals 59 Route 10 Corporation (formerly Sandoz East Hanover, NJ 07936 Pharmaceuticals Corporation)
Name and Business Address Citizenship Principal Occupation - ------------------------- ----------- -------------------- Cynthia Hogan United States Vice President of Novartis Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation Pharmaceuticals Corporation 59 Route 10 1985-1996: Vice President and East Hanover, NJ 07936 Member of the Executive Committee of Sandoz Pharmaceuticals Carolyn Koestenblatt United States Senior Vice President of Novartis Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation Pharmaceuticals Corporation 59 Route 10 1975-1995: Various functions at East Hanover, NJ 07936 Ciba-Geigy Corporation Alan J. Main United Kingdom Senior Vice President of Novartis Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation Pharmaceuticals Corporation 556 Morris Avenue 1992-1996: Senior Vice President of Summit, NJ 07901 Ciba-Geigy Corporation 1982-1992: Scientist at Ciba-Geigy Corporation Urs A. Naegelin Switzerland Senior Vice President and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation Chief Financial Officer of 59 Route 10 Novartis Pharmaceuticals East Hanover, NJ 07936 Corporation 1974-1996: Various positions at Sandoz Pharmaceuticals Corp. Eric Talbott United States Vice President of Novartis Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation Pharmaceuticals Corporation 59 Route 10 March 1997-June 1997: Vice President East Hanover, NJ 07936 of Med 3000 Dorothy Watson United States Vice President and General Counsel at Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation Novartis Pharmaceuticals 59 Route 10 Corporation East Hanover, NJ 07936 1992-1996: Deputy Counsel at Ciba-Geigy