As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 23, 2001
                                                           Registration No. 333-
================================================================================
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                  ------------

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                                  ------------

                                CYTRX CORPORATION
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

          Delaware                                         58-1642740
(State or other jurisdiction                   (IRS Employer Identification No.)
of incorporation or organization)

                            154 Technology Parkway
                            Norcross, Georgia 30092
              (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

                                CYTRX CORPORATION
                          2000 LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

                                MARK W. REYNOLDS
                                CYTRX CORPORATION
                             154 Technology Parkway
                             Norcross, Georgia 30092
                                 (770) 368-9500
(Name, address, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                                    Copy to:

                                W. Thomas Carter
                                ALSTON & BIRD LLP
                               One Atlantic Center
                           1201 West Peachtree Street
                           Atlanta, Georgia 30309-3424

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE



===============================================================================================================================
            Title of                 Amount to be          Proposed maximum           Proposed maximum          Amount of
          securities to              registered/1/        Offering price per        aggregate offering        registration
          be registered                                        Share/2/                    price                   fee
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                   
     Common Stock, par value          1,000,000                 $0.95                    $950,000                $237.50
        $.001 per share
===============================================================================================================================


______________________________________

/1/ Based on the increase in the number of shares of the Common Stock of the
Registrant issuable under the plan.

/2/ Based on the average of the high and low price of shares of the Common Stock
of the Registrant reported on the NASDAQ National Market System on August 16,
2001 pursuant to Rule 457 paragraphs (c) and (h).


                                    PART I

             INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

         We will provide the documents constituting Part I of this registration
statement to participants in the CytRx Corporation 2000 Long-Term Incentive Plan
as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act of 1933.

                                    PART II

              INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT


Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.


         The following documents filed by us with the Securities and Exchange
Commission are incorporated herein by reference:

          (a)  Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December
               31, 2000.

          (b)  Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31,
               2001 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June
               30, 2001.

          (c)  The description of our common stock contained in our registration
               statement on Form S-1 declared effective by the Securities and
               Exchange Commission on May 3, 2001.

         All documents subsequently filed by us pursuant to Sections 13(a),
13(c), 14, and 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the filing of a post-effective
amendment which indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which
deregisters all securities remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated
by reference herein and to be a part hereof from the date of the filing of such
documents .

Item 4.  Description of Securities.

         Not applicable.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

         Not applicable.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

         The Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant was amended in 1986
so as to eliminate personal liability of the members of the Board of Directors
to the fullest extent permitted by law. Specifically, Article Eleven of the
Certificate of Incorporation provides as follows:

         A director of the Corporation shall not be personally liable to the
         corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of
         fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (i) for any breach
         of the director's duty of loyalty to the corporation or its


         stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which
         involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii)
         under Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or (iv) for
         any transaction from which the director derived any improper personal
         benefit. If the Delaware General Corporation Law is amended after
         approval by the stockholders of this Article to authorize corporate
         action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of
         directors, then the liability of a director of the corporation shall be
         eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware
         General Corporation Law as so amended.

         Any repeal or modification of the foregoing paragraph by the
         stockholders of the corporation shall not adversely affect any right or
         protection of a director of the corporation existing at the time of
         such repeal or modification.

         In addition, the Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws of the
Registrant provide for indemnification of all officers and directors of the
Registrant to the fullest extent permitted by law. In particular, Article Nine
of the Certificate of Incorporation provides as follows:

         The Corporation shall, to the fullest extent permitted by Section 145
of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as the same may be
amended and supplemented, indemnify any and all persons whom it shall have power
to indemnify under said section from and against any and all of the expenses,
liabilities or other matters referred to in or covered by said section, and the
indemnification provided for herein shall not be deemed exclusive of any other
rights to which those indemnified may be entitled under any By-Law, agreement,
vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action
in his official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such
office, and shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director,
officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs,
executors and administrators of such a person.

Article Five of the Corporation's By-Laws provides as follows:

         1. MANDATORY INDEMNIFICATION. The corporation shall indemnify, to the
fullest extent permissible under Delaware law, any person who was or is a party
or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed
action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or
investigative, including an action or suit by or in the right of the corporation
to procure a judgment in its favor, by reason of the fact that he or she is or
was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was
serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or
agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other
enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and
amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection
with such action, suit or proceeding if he acted in good faith and in a manner
he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interest of the
corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no
reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful.

         2. MANDATORY ADVANCEMENT OF EXPENSES. Expenses reasonably and actually
incurred by a director, officer, employee, or agent in the course of defending
any suit under paragraph 1 of this Article V shall be paid by the corporation in
advance of the final disposition of the action, suit or proceeding, upon receipt
of an undertaking by or on behalf of the director, officer, employee, or agent
to repay such amounts if it is ultimately determined that he is not entitled to
be indemnified by the corporation. The corporation shall pay these expenses as
they are incurred by the person who may be entitled to indemnification.


         3. CONTINUATION OF RIGHT TO INDEMNIFICATION. The indemnification and
advancement of expenses expressly provided by this bylaw shall continue as to a
person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall
inure to the benefit of his heirs, executors and administrators.

         4. INTENT OF BYLAW. The intent of this Article V is to provide the
broadest possible rights to indemnification to the directors, officers,
employees, and agents of the corporation permissible under the law of Delaware
and not to affect any other right to indemnification that may exist.

         Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides as
follows:

         (a)  A corporation shall have power to indemnify any person who was or
is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or
completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or
investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by
reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or
agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation
as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership,
joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys'
fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably
incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if the
person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be
in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to
any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the
person's conduct was unlawful. The termination of any action suit or proceeding
by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or
its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did
not act in good faith and in a manner which the person reasonably believed to be
in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to
any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that the
person's conduct was unlawful.

         (b)  A corporation shall have power to indemnify any person who was or
is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or
completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a
judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the person is or was a
director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at
the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of
another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise
against expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred by
the person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit
if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed
to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and except that
no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to
which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation
unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or the court in which
such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite
the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case,
such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses
which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

         (c)  To the extent that a director, officer, employee or agent of a
corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any
action, suit or proceeding referred to in subsections (a) and (b) of this
section, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, he shall be
indemnified against expenses (including attorneys fees) actually and reasonably
incurred by him in connection therewith.

         (d)  Any indemnification under subsections (a) and (b) of this section
(unless ordered by a court) shall be made by the corporation only as authorized
in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the director,
officer, employee or agent is proper in the circumstances because the


person has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in subsections (a)
and (b) of this section. Such determination shall be made (1) by a majority vote
of the directors who are not parties to such action, suit or proceeding, even
though less than a quorum, or (2) if there are no such directors, or if such
directors so direct, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion, or (3)
by the stockholders.

         (e)  Expenses (including attorneys' fees) incurred by an officer or
director in defending any civil, criminal, administrative or investigative
action, suit or proceeding may be paid by the corporation in advance of the
final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an
undertaking by or on behalf of such director or officer to repay such amount if
it shall ultimately be determined that he is not entitled to be indemnified by
the corporation as authorized in this section. Such expenses (including
attorneys' fees) incurred by other employees and agents may be so paid upon such
terms and conditions, if any, as the board of directors deems appropriate.

         (f)  The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or
granted pursuant to, the other subsections of this section shall not be deemed
exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification or
advancement of expenses may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of
stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in his
official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such
office.

         (g)  A corporation shall have power to purchase and maintain insurance
on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of
the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a
director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint
venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against him
and incurred by him in any such capacity, or arising out of his status as such,
whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify him against
such liability under this section.

         (h)  For purposes of this section, references to "the corporation"
shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent
corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a
consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would
have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, and employees
or agents, so that any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or
agent of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of
such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of
another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise,
shall stand in the same position under this section with respect to the
resulting or surviving corporation as he would have with respect to such
constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.

         (i)  For purposes of this section, references to "other enterprises"
shall include employee benefit plans; references to "fines" shall include any
excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to any employee benefit plan; and
references to "serving at the request of the corporation" shall include any
service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation which
imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee or
agent with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or
beneficiaries; and a person who acted in good faith and in a manner he
reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries
of an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to have acted in a manner "not
opposed to the best interests of the corporation" as referred to in this
section.

         (j)  The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or
granted pursuant to, this section shall, unless otherwise provided when
authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director,
officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs,
executors and administrators of such a person.


         (k)  The Court of Chancery is hereby vested with exclusive jurisdiction
to hear and determine all actions for advancement of expenses or indemnification
brought under this section or under any bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders
or disinterested directors, or otherwise. The Court of Chancery may summarily
determine a corporation's obligation to advance expenses (including attorneys'
fees).

         Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law enables a
corporation in its certificate of incorporation to eliminate or limit personal
liability of members of this board of directors or governing body for violations
of a director's fiduciary duty of care. However, directors remain liable for
breaches of duties of loyalty, failing to act in good faith, engaging in
intentional misconduct, knowingly violating a law, paying a dividend or
approving a stock repurchase which was illegal under Delaware General
Corporation Law Section 174 or obtaining an improper personal benefit. In
addition, equitable remedies for breach of fiduciary duty, such as injunction or
recession, are available.

         The Company holds an insurance policy covering directors and officers
under which the insurer agrees to pay, with some exclusions, for any claim made
against the directors and officers of the registrant for a wrongful act that
they may become legally obligated to pay or for which the registrant is required
to indemnify the directors or officers.

         Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") may be permitted for directors,
officers and controlling persons of the Company under the above provisions, or
otherwise, the Securities and Exchange Commission has advised us that, in its
opinion, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the
Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Company
of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the
Company in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted
by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the
securities being registered, the Company will, unless in the opinion of its
counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court
of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is
against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by
the final adjudication of such issue.

Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed.

         Not applicable.


Item 8.  Exhibits.

         4.1   Restated Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated by reference
               from Exhibit 3.1 to CytRx's registration statement on Form S-3
               filed on November 5, 1997 (File No. 333-39607))

         4.2   Bylaws, as amended (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.2 to
               CytRx's registration statement on Form S-8 filed on July 21, 1997
               (File No. 333-37171))

         5     Opinion of Alston & Bird LLP regarding the legality of the
               securities being registered

         23.1  Consent of Alston & Bird LLP (included in Exhibit 5)

         23.2  Consent of Ernst & Young LLP

         24.1  Power of Attorney (included on the signature page contained on
               page 9)

____________


Item 9.  Undertakings.

         (a)   The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

               (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are
being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

                    (i)    To include any prospectus required by section
10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

                    (ii)   To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most
recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the
registration statement; and

                    (iii)  To include any material information with respect
to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration
statement or any material change in such information in the registration
statement;

         provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not
apply if the registration statement is on Form S-3, Form S-8 or Form F-3, and
the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the
Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in this
registration statement.

               (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under
the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed
to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein,
and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the
initial bona fide offering thereof.


               (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
termination of the offering.

         (b)   The undersigned issuer hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an
employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the
Securities and Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the
registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

         (c)   Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers, and controlling
persons of the registrant pursuant to foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act
and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director, officer, or controlling person of the registrant
in the successful defense of any action, suit, or proceeding) is asserted by
such director, officer, or controlling person in connection with the securities
being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the
matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of
appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is
against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.

                      (Signatures on the following page)


                                  SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, CytRx
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the city of Atlanta, state of Georgia, on this 22nd day of
August, 2001.

                                CytRx Corporation


                                By: /s/ Jack J. Luchese
                                   --------------------------------------
                                   Jack J. Luchese
                                   President and Chief Executive Officer
                                   (principal executive officer)


                                By: /s/ Mark W. Reynolds
                                   --------------------------------------
                                   Mark W. Reynolds
                                   Chief Financial Officer and Secretary
                                   (principal financial and accounting officer)

                           (Continued on next page)


                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

         Know All Men By These Presents, that each person whose signature
appears below constitutes and appoints Jack J. Luchese, and Mark W. Reynolds, or
either of them, his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full
power of substitution, and resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and
stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including
post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, and to file the same,
with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and
agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and
every act and thing requisite or necessary to be done, as fully to all intents
and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming
all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or his or their
substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue
thereof.

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in
the capacities and on the dates indicated:


         SIGNATURE                      TITLE                   DATE
         ---------                      -----                   ----

 /s/ Jack J. Luchese                   Director           August 22, 2001
-----------------------------
Jack J. Luchese

 /s/ Alexander L. Cappello             Director           August 22, 2001
-----------------------------
Alexander L. Cappello

 /s/ Raymond C. Carnahan, Jr.          Director           August 22, 2001
-----------------------------
Raymond C. Carnahan, Jr.

 /s/ Max Link                          Director           August 22, 2001
-----------------------------
Max Link

 /s/ Herbert H. McDade, Jr.            Director           August 22, 2001
-----------------------------
Herbert H. McDade, Jr.


                                 EXHIBIT INDEX

  4.1     Restated Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated by reference from
          Exhibit 3.1 to CytRx's Restated registration statement on Form S-3
          filed on November 5, 1997 (File No. 333-39607))

  4.2     Bylaws, as amended (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.2 to
          CytRx's registration statement on Form S-8 filed on July 21, 1997
          (File No. 333-37171))

  5       Opinion of Alston & Bird LLP regarding the legality of the securities
          being registered

  23.1    Consent of Alston & Bird LLP (included in Exhibit 5)

  23.2    Consent of Ernst & Young LLP

  24.1    Power of Attorney (included on the signature page contained on page 9)

___________