content: SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               Washington, D.C. 20549
  
                                      FORM 8-K
  
                                   CURRENT REPORT
  
     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934
  
                          Date of Report: December 16, 2002
                          (Date of earliest event reported)
  
  
                             XECHEM INTERNATIONAL, INC.
               (Exact name of registrant as specified in the charter)
  
            Delaware                      0-23788                  32-3284403
  (State or other jurisdiction      (Commission File No.)        (IRS Employer
        of incorporation)                                      Identification No.)
  
                      100 Jersey Avenue, Building B, Suite 310
                        New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901-3279
                      (Address of Principal Executive Offices)
  
                                   (732) 247-3300
                 Registrant's telephone number including area code)
  
            (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
  
  <PAGE>
  
  ITEM 4. CHANGES IN REGISTRANT'S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT
  
       The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of Xechem International, Inc.
  (the "Company")  annually considers and recommends to the Board the selection of
  the Company's  independent public  accountants.  As recommended by the Company's
  Audit  Committee,  the Company's Board of Directors on December 13, 2002 decided
  to no longer  engage Grant  Thornton,  LLP ("Grant  Thornton")  as the Company's
  independent public  accountants and engaged Wiss & Company,  LLP to serve as the
  Company's independent public accountants for the remainder of 2002 and the years
  thereafter.
  
       The report of Grant Thornton on the financial statements of the Company for
  the past two fiscal years  contained no adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion
  and were not qualified or modified as to uncertainty,  audit scope or accounting
  principles, except for the uncertainty paragraph regarding the Company's ability
  to continue as a going concern as noted in the report on the Company's financial
  statements for the years ended December 31, 2000 and 2001.
  
       During the  Company's  two most recent fiscal years and through the date of
  this Form 8-K, there were no disagreements  with Grant Thornton on any matter of
  accounting principles or practices,  financial statement disclosure, or auditing
  scope or  procedure  which,  if not resolved to Grant  Thornton's  satisfaction,
  would have cause them to make reference to the subject matter in connection with
  their report on the Company's  consolidated financial statements for such years.
  In addition,  there were no reportable events, as listed in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of
  Regulation S-K.
  
       The  Company has  requested  that Grant  Thornton  furnish it with a letter
  addressed to the Securities and Exchange  Commission (the "Commission")  stating
  whether or not it agrees with the above statements. A copy of such letter, dated
  December 17, 2002, is filed as Exhibit 16 to this Form 8-K.
  
       During the  Company's  two most recent fiscal years and through the date of
  this Form 8-K, the Company did not consult  Wiss & Company,  LLP with respect to
  the  application  of accounting  principles to a specified  transaction,  either
  completed  or proposed,  or the type of audit  opinion that might be rendered on
  the  Company's  consolidated  financial  statements,  or any  other  matters  or
  reportable events listed in Items 304(a)(2)(i) and (ii) of Regulation S-K.
  
  ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS
  
       (c)  Exhibits
  
       16.  Letter from Grant Thornton LLP dated December 17, 2002.
  
                                         2
  <PAGE>
  
                                     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.
  
  Dated:   December 17, 2002
  
                                          XECHEM INTERNATIONAL, INC.
  
                                          By: /s/  Dr. Ramesh C. Pandey
                                              --------------------------
                                          Its: President and Chairman of the
                                          Board of Directors
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text: SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               Washington, D.C. 20549
  
                                      FORM 8-K
  
                                   CURRENT REPORT
  
     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934
  
                          Date of Report: December 16, 2002
                          (Date of earliest event reported)
  
                             XECHEM INTERNATIONAL, INC.
               (Exact name of registrant as specified in the charter)
  
            Delaware                      0-23788                  32-3284403
  (State or other jurisdiction      (Commission File No.)        (IRS Employer
        of incorporation)                                      Identification No.)
  
                      100 Jersey Avenue, Building B, Suite 310
                        New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901-3279
                      (Address of Principal Executive Offices)
  
                                   (732) 247-3300
                 Registrant's telephone number including area code)
  
            (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
  ITEM 4. CHANGES IN REGISTRANT'S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT
  
       The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of Xechem International, Inc.
  (the "Company")  annually considers and recommends to the Board the selection of
  the Company's  independent public  accountants.  As recommended by the Company's
  Audit  Committee,  the Company's Board of Directors on December 13, 2002 decided
  to no longer  engage Grant  Thornton,  LLP ("Grant  Thornton")  as the Company's
  independent public  accountants and engaged Wiss & Company,  LLP to serve as the
  Company's independent public accountants for the remainder of 2002 and the years
  thereafter.
  
       The report of Grant Thornton on the financial statements of the Company for
  the past two fiscal years  contained no adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion
  and were not qualified or modified as to uncertainty,  audit scope or accounting
  principles, except for the uncertainty paragraph regarding the Company's ability
  to continue as a going concern as noted in the report on the Company's financial
  statements for the years ended December 31, 2000 and 2001.
  
       During the  Company's  two most recent fiscal years and through the date of
  this Form 8-K, there were no disagreements  with Grant Thornton on any matter of
  accounting principles or practices,  financial statement disclosure, or auditing
  scope or  procedure  which,  if not resolved to Grant  Thornton's  satisfaction,
  would have cause them to make reference to the subject matter in connection with
  their report on the Company's  consolidated financial statements for such years.
  In addition,  there were no reportable events, as listed in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of
  Regulation S-K.
  
       The  Company has  requested  that Grant  Thornton  furnish it with a letter
  addressed to the Securities and Exchange  Commission (the "Commission")  stating
  whether or not it agrees with the above statements. A copy of such letter, dated
  December 17, 2002, is filed as Exhibit 16 to this Form 8-K.
  
       During the  Company's  two most recent fiscal years and through the date of
  this Form 8-K, the Company did not consult  Wiss & Company,  LLP with respect to
  the  application  of accounting  principles to a specified  transaction,  either
  completed  or proposed,  or the type of audit  opinion that might be rendered on
  the  Company's  consolidated  financial  statements,  or any  other  matters  or
  reportable events listed in Items 304(a)(2)(i) and (ii) of Regulation S-K.
  
  ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS
  
       (c)  Exhibits
  
       16.  Letter from Grant Thornton LLP dated December 17, 2002.
  
                                         2
  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.
  
  Dated:   December 17, 2002
  
                                          XECHEM INTERNATIONAL, INC.
  
                                          By: /s/  Dr. Ramesh C. Pandey
                                              --------------------------
                                          Its: President and Chairman of the
                                          Board of Directors