Hemispherx Biopharma Reports Commencement Of Treatment Of WNV.

PHILADELPHIA -- Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. (AMEX: HEB) announced today that it has commenced patient treatment for the West Nile Virus (WNV). Human cases of the WNV have been reported in the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The total in 2004 to date of human cases in the United States is 1,053 and rising rapidly, especially in the western states of Arizona and California where the Company has approval from the Western Institutional Review Board (WIRB).

On June 1st 2004, Hemispherx announced that Professor James Rahal, Director of Infectious Disease Section New York Hospital Queens and Professor of Medicine at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, would be conducting a clinical trial for the treatment of WNV with the company's lead product, Alferon N Injection. The approved clinical protocol for therapy of WNV is entitled "Double Blinded, Placebo Controlled Trial of Alpha-Interferon (Alferon) Therapy for West Nile Meningoencephalitis (protocol WN-102)".

Interested physicians can access the Alferon N Injection for WNV protocol at the New York Hospital Queens website at www.nyhq.org/posting/rahal.html. In conjunction with Hemispherx, there is also an established WNV Hotline [phone]) to support and evaluate patients nationwide.

About Alferon N Injection(R)

Alferon N(R) (Interferon alfa-n3, human leukocyte derived) is a highly purified, natural source, glycosylated, multispecies alpha interferon product, composed of eight forms of highly purified alpha interferon. It is the only natural-source, human multispecies alpha interferon sold in the U.S. and is approved for the treatment of refractory papilloma by various regulatory agencies worldwide. By contrast, recombinant, non-natural source, interferon is composed of only one form and thus lacks the potential for synergistic therapeutic activity.

About Hemispherx

Hemispherx Biopharma, based in Philadelphia, is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the manufacture and clinical development of new drug entities for treatment of viral and immune-based chronic disorders. Its flagship products include Alferon N(R) and the experimental immunotherapeutics/antivirals Ampligen(R) and Oragens(TM). These novel proteins, approved for a category of STD infection, and experimental nucleic acids are being developed for globally important chronic viral diseases and disorders of the immune system including HPV, HIV, CFS and Hepatitis. Its platform technology includes large and small agent components for potential treatment of various chronic viral infections. Hemispherx has approximately 270 patents comprising its core intellectual property estate, a fully commercialized product (Alferon N(R)) and GMP certified manufacturing facilities for its novel pharma 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) and Oragens(TM)) 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. Only Clinical Studies under well-controlled conditions can establish efficacy and safety of any product. Clinical trials for other potential indications of the approved biologic Alferon(R) do not imply that the product will ever be specifically approved commercially for these other treatment indication.