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):
December 4, 2008
HEMISPHERX BIOPHARMA, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
Delaware 0-27072 52-0845822
(State or Other Jurisdiction (Commission (IRS Employer
of Incorporation) File Number) Identification No.)
1617 JFK Boulevard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19103
(Address of Principal Executive Offices, including Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (215) 988-0080
Not Applicable
(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))
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Section 5 - Corporate Governance and Management
Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. announced the appointment of a new Chief Financial
Officer (interim), Charles T. Bernhardt, C.P.A, M.B.A., to be effective January
1, 2009.
For more information, please see the December 4, 2008 press release attached
hereto as exhibit 99.1.
The following Exhibit is filed as part of this report:
Exhibit No. Description
99.1 Press Release dated December 4, 2008
Signatures
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, the registrant has caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
Date: December 8, 2008
HEMISPHERX BIOPHARMA, INC.
/s/ William A. Carter
-----------------------------------
William A. Carter, M.D.,
Chief Executive Officer
Exhibit 99.1
Company/Investor Contact:
Dianne Will Sean Collins, Sr. Partner
Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. CCG Investor Relations
518-398-6222 310-477-9800
ir@hemispherx.net
Hemispherx Biopharma Announces New Chief Financial Officer
Philadelphia, PA., December 4, 2008 - Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. (NYSE Alternext
US: HEB) announced the appointment of a new Chief Financial Officer (interim),
Charles T. Bernhardt, C.P.A, M.B.A., effective January 1, 2009. Robert E.
Peterson, Hemispherx's Chief Financial Officer for approximately 20 years, is
retiring at that time; he will retain a position of Consultant and Financial
Advisor to the Company.
Under Mr. Peterso's tenure, he was instrumental in a number of private stock
placements prior to the company's "going public" in 1995. Those private
placements which were significant in the Company's growth and clinical progress
included investments made by diverse sophisticated investors including
principals at Clayton, Dubilier and Rice, a preeminent M&A Firm; Canaan
Partners; Dr. Lee Pierce; the Lawrence Tisch family and Mr. Gerald Tsai,
formerly of Smith-Barney.
Mr. Bernhardt, age 47, is a Certified Public Accountant, graduate of Villanova
University and most recently was the Director of Accounting for Healthcare
Division of Thomson Reuters (NYSE-TRI), an overall company with $12 billion in
annual revenues and 50,000 total world-wide employees. He was responsible for
their Healthcare Division's accounting operations as well as the shared
financial services for the Healthcare and Scientific Divisions. Earlier in his
career, he was a Regional Controller for Comcast Cable, Director of Finance for
TelAmerica Media and is an alumni of public accounting's Big Four in KPMG.
Hemispherx's CEO/Chairman, Dr. William Carter commented: "Over the last several
months, under Mr. Peterson's tutelage, we have seen a smooth gradual transition
to Mr. Bernhardt's leadership. By their continuing to work together, the Company
is guaranteed to continue to have outstanding financial leadership going
forward."
About Hemispherx Biopharma
Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. is a specialty pharma company engaged in the
manufacture and clinical development of new drug entities for treatment of
seriously debilitating disorders. Hemispherx's flagship products include Alferon
N Injection(R) (FDA approved for a category of sexually transmitted diseases)
and the experimental therapeutics, Ampligen(R) and Oragens. Ampligen(R) and
Oragens represent experimental RNA nucleic acids being developed for globally
important debilitating diseases and disorders of the immune system. Hemispherx's
platform technology includes large and small agent components for potential
treatment of various severely debilitating and life threatening diseases.
Hemispherx has in excess of 50 issued patents comprising its core intellectual
property estate and a fully commercialized product (Alferon N Injection(R)). The
Company wholly owns and exclusively operates a GMP certified manufacturing
facility in the United States for commercial products. For more information
please visit www.hemispherx.net.
Information contained in this news release other than historical information,
should be considered forward-looking and is subject to various risk factors and
uncertainties. For instance, the strategies and operations of Hemispherx involve
risk of competition, changing market conditions, change in laws and regulations
affecting these industries and numerous other factors discussed in this release
and in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any
specifically referenced investigational drugs and associated technologies of the
Company (including Ampligen(R), Alferon LDO and Oragens) are experimental in
nature and as such are not designated safe and effective by a regulatory
authority for general use and are legally available only through clinical trials
with the referenced disorders. The forward-looking statements represent the
Company's judgment as of the date of this release. The Company disclaims,
however, any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
Clinical trials for other potential indications of the approved biologic Alferon
N Injection(R) do not imply that the product will ever be specifically approved
commercially for these other treatment indications; similarly, the completion of
the NDA filing process with Ampligen(R) does not imply that the product will
ever be approved commercially.
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