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) March 21,
                             2005 ( March 21, 2005)

                           HEMISPHERX BIOPHARMA, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

                           Delaware 0-27072 52-0845822
               (state or other juris- (Commission (I.R.S. Employer
           diction of incorporation) File Number) (Identification No.)

              1617 JFK Boulevard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (215) 988-0080

          ---------------------------------------------------------------
          (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))








Section 5 - Corporate Governance and Management
-----------------------------------------------

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Principal  Officers;  Election of Directors;
Appointment of Principal Officers.

On March 21,  2005,  our Board of  Directors  appointed  Steven D. Spence to our
Board of Directors.  Mr. Spence is an independent  director and he will serve on
the Audit and Executive committees of our Board of Directors.

The press  release  announcing  the  appointment  of Mr.  Spence to our Board of
Directors is furnished as Exhibit 99 and incorporated by reference.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits
-------------------------------------------

(c)  Exhibits.

99   Press Release dated March 21, 2005


                                   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.


                                                 HEMISPHERX BIOPHARMA, INC.


March 21, 2005                              By: /s/ William A. Carter
                                                --------------------------
                                                William A. Carter M.D.,
                                                Chief Executive Officer