SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                  SCHEDULE 13D
                                (Amendment No. 3)

                   Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934*

                       Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
                       -----------------------------------
                                (Name of Issuer)

                    Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share
                    ----------------------------------------
                         (Title of Class of Securities)

                                    53220K207
                                    ---------
                      (CUSIP Number of Class of Securities)

                                 Daniel S. Loeb
                                 Third Point LLC
                                 390 Park Avenue
                               New York, NY 10022
                                 (212) 224-7400
                                 --------------
                  (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person
                Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications)

                                   Copies to:
                              Jack H. Nusbaum, Esq.
                          Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
                               787 Seventh Avenue
                             New York, NY 10019-6099
                                 (212) 728-8000

                                October 26, 2005
                                ----------------
                          (Date of Event which Requires
                            Filing of this Schedule)

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 ss.ss. 240.13d-1(e), 240.13d-1(f) or 240.13d-1(g), check the
following box: [ ]

NOTE: Schedules filed in paper format shall include a signed original and five
copies of the schedule, including all exhibits. See Rule 240.13d-7 for other
parties to whom copies are to be sent.

* The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).



                                  SCHEDULE 13D

-------------------                                           ------------------
CUSIP No. 53220K207                                           Page 2 of 10 Pages
-------------------                                           ------------------
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    1       NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
            I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY)

            Daniel S. Loeb
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    2       CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP             (a) [ ]
                                                                         (b) [X]
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    3       SEC USE ONLY
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    4       SOURCE OF FUNDS*

            AF
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    5       CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDING IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO
            ITEMS 2(d) or 2(e) [ ]
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    6       CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

            United States
--------------------- --------- ------------------------------------------------
                         7      SOLE VOTING POWER

                                0
    NUMBER OF         --------- ------------------------------------------------
     SHARES              8      SHARED VOTING POWER
  BENEFICIALLY
    OWNED BY                    7,000,000
      EACH            --------- ------------------------------------------------
   REPORTING             9      SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
  PERSON WITH
                                0
                      --------- ------------------------------------------------
                         10     SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

                                7,000,000
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    11      AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH PERSON

            7,000,000
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    12      CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN
            SHARES* [ ]
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    13      PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)

            9.47%
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    14      TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*

            IN
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------



                                  SCHEDULE 13D

-------------------                                           ------------------
CUSIP No. 53220K207                                           Page 3 of 10 Pages
-------------------                                           ------------------
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    1       NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
            I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY)

            Third Point LLC    I.D. #13-3922602
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    2       CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP             (a) [ ]
                                                                         (b) [X]
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    3       SEC USE ONLY
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    4       SOURCE OF FUNDS*

            AF
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    5       CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDING IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO
            ITEMS 2(d) or 2(e) [ ]
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    6       CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

            Delaware
--------------------- --------- ------------------------------------------------
                         7      SOLE VOTING POWER

                                0
    NUMBER OF         --------- ------------------------------------------------
     SHARES              8      SHARED VOTING POWER
  BENEFICIALLY
    OWNED BY                    7,000,000
      EACH            --------- ------------------------------------------------
   REPORTING             9      SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
  PERSON WITH
                                0
                      --------- ------------------------------------------------
                         10     SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

                                7,000,000
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    11      AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH PERSON

            7,000,000
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    12      CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN
            SHARES* [ ]
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    13      PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)

            9.47%
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    14      TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*

            OO
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------



                                  SCHEDULE 13D

-------------------                                           ------------------
CUSIP No. 53220K207                                           Page 4 of 10 Pages
-------------------                                           ------------------
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    1       NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
            I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY)

            Third Point Offshore Fund, Ltd.
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    2       CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP             (a) [ ]
                                                                         (b) [X]
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    3       SEC USE ONLY
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    4       SOURCE OF FUNDS*

            AF
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    5       CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDING IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO
            ITEMS 2(d) or 2(e) [ ]
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    6       CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

            Cayman Islands
--------------------- --------- ------------------------------------------------
                         7      SOLE VOTING POWER

                                0
    NUMBER OF         --------- ------------------------------------------------
     SHARES              8      SHARED VOTING POWER
  BENEFICIALLY
    OWNED BY                    4,573,400
      EACH            --------- ------------------------------------------------
   REPORTING             9      SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
  PERSON WITH
                                0
                      --------- ------------------------------------------------
                         10     SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

                                4,573,400
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    11      AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH PERSON

            4,573,400
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    12      CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN
            SHARES* [ ]
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    13      PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)

            6.19%
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
    14      TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*

            OO
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------------



     This Amendment No. 3 (the "Amendment") amends the Schedule 13D filed on
September 23, 2005 (together with amendments filed prior to the date hereof, the
"Schedule 13D"), and is being filed on behalf of Third Point LLC, a Delaware
limited liability company (the "Management Company"), Third Point Offshore Fund,
Ltd., a Cayman Island limited liability exempted company (the "Offshore Fund"),
and Daniel S. Loeb, an individual ("Mr. Loeb" and, together with the Management
Company and the Offshore Fund, the "Reporting Persons"). This Schedule 13D
relates to the common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of Ligand
Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"). Unless the
context otherwise requires, references herein to the "Common Stock" are to such
common stock of the Company. The Management Company is the investment manager or
adviser to a variety of hedge funds and managed accounts (such funds and
accounts, collectively, including but not limited to the Offshore Fund, the
"Funds"). The Funds directly own the Common Stock to which this Schedule 13D
relates, and the Reporting Persons may be deemed to have beneficial ownership
over such Common Stock by virtue of their ownership or the authority granted to
them by the Funds to vote and to dispose of the securities held by the Funds,
including the Common Stock.

Item 4.  Purpose of Transaction.

     Item 4 of the Schedule 13D is hereby amended by adding thereto the
following:

     In a letter, dated October 25, 2005, from Mr. Loeb, as managing member of
the Management Company, to the shareholders of the Company (a copy of which is
attached hereto as Exhibit 1), Mr. Loeb indicated, among other things, that the
Reporting Persons intend to file proxy materials with the SEC and to run either
a full or partial slate of directors at the next shareholders meeting.

Item 7.  Material to be Filed as Exhibits.

     1. Letter from the Management Company to the shareholders of the Company.


                                       5




                                   SIGNATURES


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


Dated: October 26, 2005


                                        THIRD POINT LLC

                                        By:  /s/ Daniel S. Loeb
                                            ------------------------------------
                                            Name:  Daniel S. Loeb
                                            Title:  Chief Executive Officer


                                        THIRD POINT OFFSHORE FUND, LTD.

                                        By:  /s/ Daniel S. Loeb
                                            ------------------------------------
                                            Name:  Daniel S. Loeb
                                            Title:  Director



                    /s/ Daniel S. Loeb
                   --------------------------------------------------
                   Daniel S. Loeb













               [SIGNATURE PAGE TO AMENDMENT NO. 3 TO SCHEDULE 13D
                                 WITH RESPECT TO
                      LIGAND PHARMACEUTICALS INCORPORATED]