Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc - Statement of Changes in Beneficial Ownership (4)

FORM 4 [ ] Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).	UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES	OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0287 Expires: February 28, 2011 Estimated average burden hours per response... 0.5
	Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * GIOTTA GREGORY J	2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol ONYX PHARMACEUTICALS INC [ ONXX ]	5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director                      _____ 10% Owner __ X __ Officer (give title below)      _____ Other (specify below) VP & Chief Legal Counsel
(Last)          (First)          (Middle) C/O ONYX PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., 2100 POWELL ST., 12TH FLOOR	3. Date of Earliest Transaction (MM/DD/YYYY) 8/14/2008
(Street) EMERYVILLE, CA 94608 (City)        (State)        (Zip)	4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed (MM/DD/YYYY)	6. 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 (Instr. 3)	2. Trans. Date	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any	3. Trans. Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	8/14/2008		M		1668	A	$25.30	5501	D
Common Stock	8/14/2008		M		15099	A	$28.62	20600	D
Common Stock	8/14/2008		M		875	A	$24.84	21475	D
Common Stock	8/14/2008		S		13542   (1)	D	$44.00	7933	D
Common Stock	8/14/2008		S		700	D	$42.741	7233	D
Common Stock	8/14/2008		S		3400	D	$42.74	3833	D

Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned ( e.g. , puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivate Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Trans. Date	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any	4. Trans. Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	$25.30	8/14/2008		M			1668	(2)	3/9/2015	Common Stock	1668	$0.00	2916	D
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	$28.62	8/14/2008		M			15099	(2)	3/1/2016	Common Stock	15099	$0.00	9901	D
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	$24.84	8/14/2008		M			875	(2)	3/30/2017	Common Stock	875	$0.00	9333	D

Explanation of Responses:
( 1)	Shares sold pursuant to a 10b5-1 plan.
( 2)	12.5% of the shares subject to the option become exercisable 6 months following the date of grant. The remaining shares become exercisable in equal monthly installments over the following 42 months for a total vesting schedule of 48 months.

Reporting Owners
Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
GIOTTA GREGORY J C/O ONYX PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. 2100 POWELL ST., 12TH FLOOR EMERYVILLE, CA 94608			VP & Chief Legal Counsel

Signatures
/s/ Greg Schafer, Attorney-in-fact		8/15/2008
** Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note:	File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number.