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      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">UNITED
        STATES</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">SECURITIES
        AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">WASHINGTON,
        D.C. 20549</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><strong>FORM
        8-K</strong></font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">CURRENT
        REPORT</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">PURSUANT
        TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">THE
        SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Date
        of
        report (date of earliest event reported): December 14, 2005</font><br></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><strong>ZIOPHARM
        Oncology, Inc.</strong></font></div>
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        name of registrant as specified in its charter)</font><br></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
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                  File Number)</font></div>
              </td>
              <td valign="top" width="33%">
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                  Employer Identification No.)</font></div>
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        Avenue of the Americas, 19</strong></font><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><sup><strong>th</strong></sup></font><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><strong>
        Floor</strong></font></div>
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        214-0700</strong></font></div>
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        telephone number, including area code)</font></div>
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      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
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        provisions:</font></div>
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              <td align="left">
                <div align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Written
                  communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17
                  CFR
                  230.425)</font></div>
              </td>
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                  material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
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        2005, the Board approved the payment of a discretionary bonus in the amount
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        has
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        duly authorized.</font></div>
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        <table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">

            <tr valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffff">
              <td width="50%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;</font></td>
              <td width="1%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;</font></td>
              <td width="49%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;</font></td>
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                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">ZIOPHARM
                  Oncology, Inc.:</font></div>
                <div><font size="2">(<font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Registrant</font><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">)</font></font></div>
              </td>
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              <td><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;<br>&#160;</font></td>
              <td><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;<br>&#160;</font></td>
              <td><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;<br>&#160;</font></td>
            </tr>
            <tr valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffff">
              <td><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Date:
                December 20, 2005</font></td>
              <td><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">By:&#160;&#160;</font></td>
              <td><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">/s/&#160;Richard
                E. Bagley</font></td>
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            <tr valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffff">
              <td colspan="2"><font style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="1">&#160;</font></td>
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                <hr style="COLOR: #000000" align="left" noshade size="2" width="80%"><font size="2"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">RICHARD
                E. BAGLEY<font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">,
                </font><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><em>President
                and Chief </em></font><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><em>Operating
                Officer</em></font></font></font></td>
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{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "ZIOPHARM ONCOLOGY INC", "cik": "0001107421", "assigned-sic": "8093", "irs-number": "841475642", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "000-32353", "film-number": "051274742"}, "business-address": {"street1": "1180 AVENUE OF THE AMERICA", "street2": "19TH FLOOR", "city": "NEW YORK", "state": "NY", "zip": "10036", "phone": "617-214-0700"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "1180 AVENUE OF THE AMERICA", "street2": "19TH FLOOR", "city": "NEW YORK", "state": "NY", "zip": "10036"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "EASYWEB INC", "date-changed": "20010213"}}
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 14, 2005
ZIOPHARM
        Oncology, Inc.
(Exact
        name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
0-32353
84-1475642
(State
                  or other jurisdiction of incorporation)
(Commission
                  File Number)
(IRS
                  Employer Identification No.)
1180
        Avenue of the Americas, 19
th
Floor
New
        York, NY 10036
(Address
        of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
(646)
        214-0700
(Registrant's
        telephone number, including area code)
(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:
o
Written
                  communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17
                  CFR
                  230.425)
o
Soliciting
                  material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
                  240.14a-12)
o
Pre-commencement
                  communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act
                  (17 CFR
                  240.14d-2(b))
o
Pre-commencement
                  communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act
                  (17 CFR
                  240.13e-4(c))
Item
        1.01.
Entry
        into a Material Definitive Agreement.
At
        a
        meeting of the Registrant's Board of Directors (the "Board") held December 14,
        2005, the Board approved the payment of a discretionary bonus in the amount
        of
        $25,000 to be paid to Richard Bagley, the Registrant's President and Chief
        Operating Officer, in respect of Mr. Bagley's service to the Registrant during
        2005. Such bonus will be paid on December 30, 2005.
At
        the
        December 14, 2005 Board meeting, the Board also approved (i) an increase,
        from
        $3,000 to $5,000, in the quarterly cash retainer paid in arrears to the
        Registrant's non-employee directors, and (ii) payments of $1,000 to each
        non-employee director serving on the Registrant's audit committee, compensation
        committee and nominating committee for each committee meeting attended by
        such
        director.
1
SIGNATURE
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.
ZIOPHARM
                  Oncology, Inc.:
(
Registrant
)
Date:
                December 20, 2005
By:
/s/ Richard
                E. Bagley
RICHARD
                E. BAGLEY
,
President
                and Chief
Operating
                Officer
2