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)
                      October 20, 2005 ( October 17, 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 1 - Registrant's Business and Operations

Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

         On October 17,  2005,  we engaged the Sage Group,  Inc., a health care,
technology  oriented,  strategy and  transaction  advisory firm, to assist us in
obtaining a strategic  alliance in Japan for the use of  Ampligen(R) in treating
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or CFS.

         The initial term of the engagement  will be one year unless  terminated
by either party in six months.  The engagement may terminate prior to the end of
the term upon the  completion of a licensing or other  conveyance of Ampligen(R)
rights for use in CFS for Japan or a sale of all, or  substantially  all, of our
common stock or assets (a  "Transaction")  to an entity identified by Sage or us
prior to or  during  the term of the  engagement  that may have an  interest  in
Ampligen(R) for use in CFS in Japan (a "Target"). The engagement may be extended
by mutual agreement of the parties.

         For its  services,  Sage will  receive a monthly fee during the term of
the arrangement of $2,000. It also will receive up to an aggregate of 340,000 10
year common stock purchase  options upon  completion of certain stated goals. If
we enter  into one or more  Transactions  with a Target  during  the term of the
engagement or during the year thereafter, Sage will be entitled to a success fee
equal  to 3% of  our  receipts  from  the  Transaction  up to a  maximum  fee of
$3,000,000.

R. Douglas Hulse, our President and Chief Operating Officer,  is a principal and
an executive director of The Sage Group, Inc.






                                   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.


October 20, 2005         By: /s/ Willaim A. Carter
                                         -------------------------
                                         William A. Carter M.D.,
                                         Chief Executive Officer