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| þ | QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
|--------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| £ | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
|--------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| Delaware                                                       |   | 04-3216862                           |
|----------------------------------------------------------------|--------|--------------------------------------|
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |   | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |

| 8601 Six Forks Road, Suite 160Raleigh, North Carolina |   | 27615      |
|-------------------------------------------------------|--------|------------|
| (Address of principal executive offices)              |   | (Zip Code) |

| Large accelerated filer  £ | Accelerated filer  £ | Non-accelerated filer  £       |      Smaller reporting company  R |
|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
|                                      |                                | (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) |                                                                 |

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|                    | DARA BIOSCIENCES, INC. |                          |
|-------------------------|------------------------|-------------------------------|
|                    |                   |                          |   |
| Date: February 22, 2013 | By:                    | /s/ David J. Drutz, M.D. |   |
|                    |                   | David J. Drutz, M.D.          |   |
|                    |                   | Chief Executive Officer       |   |
|                    |                   |                          |   |

| Date: February 22, 2013 | By:    | /s/ David L. Tousley  |   |
|-------------------------|--------|---------------------------------|--------|
|                    |   | David L. Tousley                |   |
|                    |   | Acting Chief Financial Officer  |   |
|                    |   |                            |   |

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|   Exhibit No. |   |   Description                                                                                                                             |   |   Incorporated by Reference to |
|--------------------|--------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------|-------------------------------------|
|               |   |                                                                                                                                           |   |                                |
| 31.1*              |   | Certification of David J. Drutz, M.D.. pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, dated November 14, 2012                      |   |                                |
|               |   |                                                                                                                                           |   |                                |
| 31.2*              |   | Certification of David L. Tousley pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, dated November14, 2012                            |   |                                |
|               |   |                                                                                                                                           |   |                                |
| 32*                |   | Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, dated November14, 2012 |   |                                |