4 1 NYSE0001181166 Officer Ribapharm Inc. 000111661395-4805655 12/04/02 4 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 4 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP [ ] Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. 1. Name and Address of Reporting Person(s) STANKOVICH, THOMAS 3300 Hyland Ave. Costa Mesa, CA 92626 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol Ribapharm Inc. (RNA) 3. I.R.S. Identification Number of Reporting Person, if an entity (Voluntary) 4. Statement for Month/Day/Year 12/4/02 5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year) 6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) [ ] Director [ ] 10% Owner [X] Officer (give title below) [ ] Other (specify below) SVP & CFO 7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) [X] Form filed by One Reporting Person [ ] Form filed by More than One Reporting Person Table I Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1)Title of Security 2)Trans- 3.Trans- 4.Securities Acquired(A) 5)Amount of 6) 7)Nature of action action or Disposed of (D) Securities Indirect Date Code A Beneficially D Beneficial (Month/ or Owned at or Ownership Day/Year) Code V Amount D Price End of Month I ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Table II (PART 1) Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (Columns 1 through 6) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1)Title of Derivative 2)Conversion 3)Trans- 4)Trans- 5)Number of Derivative 6)Date Exercisable and Security or Exercise action action Securities Acquired (A) Expiration Date Price of Date Code or Disposed of (D) Derivative Security Code V A D Exercisable Expiration ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Non-Qualified Stock Option $5.6000 12/04/02 A 71,700 (1) 12/04/12 (right to buy) Table II (PART 2) Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (Columns 1,3 and 7 through 11) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1)Title of Derivative 3)Trans- 7)Title and Amount 8)Price 9)Number of 10) 11)Nature of Security action of Underlying of Deri- Derivative Indirect Date Securities vative Securities D Beneficial Amount or Security Beneficially or Ownership Number of Owned at I - Title Shares End of Month ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Non-Qualified Stock Option 12/04/02 Common Stock 71,700 71,700 D Direct (right to buy) Explanation of Responses: (1) This option vests in four equal parts beginning one year following the date of grant and on each subsequent anniversary of the date of grant. SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON /S/ STANKOVICH, THOMAS DATE 12/05/02