Document:

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                              Warrants to Purchase

                                   50,000,000

                             Shares of Common Stock

                             NEW WORLD PASTA COMPANY

                         COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANTS

         This certifies that, for value received, New World Pasta, LLC or its
registered assigns (the "Holder") is entitled to purchase from New World Pasta
Company, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), at any time from 9:00 a.m., New
York City time, on July 30, 2001 until 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on July
30, 2008 (the "Expiration Date"), at the purchase price of $1.00 per share (the
"Warrant Price"), the number of shares of Common Stock of the Company, par value
$.01 per share ("Common Stock"), shown above. The number of shares purchasable
upon exercise of the Common Stock Purchase Warrants (the "Warrants") and the
Warrant Price are subject to adjustment from time to time as set forth below.

         Section 1.  Exercise of Warrants.

                 (a) Warrants may be exercised in whole or in part, at any time
or from time to time, by presentation of this Warrant certificate with the
Purchase Form (attached hereto as Exhibit A) duly executed and simultaneous
payment of the Warrant Price to the Company. Payment of such price shall be
made, at the option of the Holder, (i) in cash or by certified or official bank
check payable to the Company; (ii) by cashless exercise (in the manner described
below in Section 1(c)); or (iii) by any combination of payment described in
clauses (i) or (ii) hereof. As provided herein, the Warrant Price and the number
or kind of shares which may be purchased upon the exercise of the Warrants
evidenced by this Warrant certificate are, at the option of the Company or upon
the happening of certain events, subject to modification and adjustment
described herein.

                 (b) In case an exercise of Warrants is in part only, a new
Warrant or Warrants of like tenor, calling in the aggregate on the face or faces
of the Warrant certificate or certificates for the number of shares of Common
Stock equal (without giving effect to any adjustment thereof) to the number of
such shares called for on the face of this Warrant certificate minus the number
of such shares designated by the Holder upon such exercise as provided in this
Section 1 shall be issued and delivered to the Holder or its registered assigns.

                 (c) As described in clause (ii) of Section 1(a) above, the
Holder may apply to the payment required by this Section 1 that portion of this
Warrant, that is equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the value of the
Warrant or portion thereof on the

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exercise date (determined by subtracting the aggregate exercise price for the
shares of Common Stock in effect on the exercise date from the aggregate current
market price (as determined below in Section 1(d) of the shares of Common Stock)
by (ii) the current market price of one share of Common Stock.

                 (d) For the purpose of any computation under Section 1(c) and
Section 7, the current market price per share of the Common Stock shall be
determined in good faith by the Board on the basis of such information as it
considers appropriate; provided, however, that if the Common Stock is publicly
traded at the time of such computation, then the current market price per share
of Common Stock at any date shall be the average of the daily closing prices for
20 consecutive trading days commencing 30 trading days before the date of such
computation, which closing price for each day shall be the last reported sales
price regular way or, in case no such reported sale takes place on such day, the
average of the closing bid and asked prices regular way for such day, in each
case on the principal national securities exchange on which the shares of Common
Stock are listed or admitted to trading or, if not listed or admitted to
trading, the average of the closing bid and asked prices of the Common Stock in
the over-the-counter market as reported on the NASDAQ Stock Market.

         Section 2.  Exchange of Warrant Certificates. This Warrant certificate
may be exchanged for another certificate or certificates entitling the Holder to
purchase like aggregate number of Common Stock issuable on exercise of the
Warrants (the "Warrants Shares") as the certificate or certificates surrendered
then entitle the Holder to purchase. The Holder shall make such request in
writing delivered to the Company, and shall surrender, properly endorsed, the
certificate or certificates to be so exchanged. Thereupon, the Company shall
sign and deliver to the Holder a new Warrant certificate or certificates, as the
case may be, as so requested.

         Section 3.  Compliance with Government Regulations. If any shares of
Common Stock required to be reserved for purposes of exercise of Warrants
require, under any Federal or state law or applicable governing rule or
regulation of any national securities exchange, registration with or approval of
any governmental authority, or listing on any such national securities exchange
before such shares may be issued upon exercise, the Company will in good faith
and as expeditiously as possible endeavor to cause such shares to be duly
registered, approved or listed on the relevant national securities exchange, as
the case may be; provided, however, that in no event shall such shares of Common
Stock be issued, and the Company is hereby authorized to suspend the exercise of
all Warrants, for the period, and only for such period, during which such
registration, approval or listing is required but not in effect.

         Section 4.  Payment of Taxes. The Company will pay all documentary
stamp taxes, if any, attributable to the initial issuance of Warrant Shares upon
the exercise of Warrants; provided, however, that the Company shall not be
required to pay any tax or taxes which may be payable in respect of any transfer
involved in the issue or delivery of any Warrants or Warrant certificates for
Warrant Shares in a name other than that of the Holder.

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         Section 5.  Mutilated or Missing Warrants. If certificates evidencing
the Warrants shall be mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Company may in
its discretion issue, in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation of
the mutilated Warrant certificate, or in lieu of and substitution for the
Warrant certificate lost, stolen or destroyed, a new Warrant certificate of like
tenor and representing an equivalent right or interest, but only upon receipt of
(i) evidence satisfactory to the Company of such loss, theft or destruction of
such Warrant certificate and (ii) an indemnity or bond, if requested, also
satisfactory to the Company. The Holder shall also comply with such other
reasonable regulations and pay such other reasonable charges as the Company may
prescribe.

         Section 6.  Adjustment of Warrant Price and Number of Warrant Shares.
The number and kind of securities purchasable upon the exercise of each Warrant
and the Warrant Price shall be subject to adjustment from time to time upon the
happening of certain events, as hereinafter defined.

                 (a) Mechanical Adjustments. In the event that a dividend or
other distribution (whether in the form of cash, Common Stock, or other
property), recapitalization, stock split, reverse split, reorganization, merger,
consolidation, spin-off, combination, repurchase, or share exchange, or other
similar corporate transaction or event shall occur after the date hereof which
the Board in its reasonable discretion, determines affects the Common Stock such
that an adjustment is appropriate in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of
the rights of the Holder or the value of the Warrants, then the Board shall make
such equitable changes or adjustments as it deems necessary or appropriate to
any or all of (i) the number and kind of shares of capital stock which may
thereafter be issued upon exercise of Warrants, (ii) the number and kind of
shares of capital stock issued or issuable in respect of Warrants and (iii) the
Warrant Price.

                 (b) Notice of Adjustment. Whenever the number of Warrant
Shares purchasable upon the exercise of each Warrant or the Warrant Price of
such Warrant Shares is adjusted, as herein provided, the Company (i) shall
promptly mail by first-class mail, postage prepaid, to the Holder notice of such
adjustment or adjustments and (ii) shall deliver to the Holder a certificate of
the Chief Financial Officer of the Company setting forth the number of Warrant
Shares purchasable upon the exercise of each Warrant and the Warrant Price of
such Warrant Shares after such adjustment and setting forth the computation by
which such adjustment was made. Such certificate, in the absence of manifest
error, shall be conclusive evidence of the correctness of such adjustment.

                 (c) Preservation of Purchase Rights Upon Merger,
Consolidation, etc. In case of any consolidation of the Company with or merger
of the Company into another corporation or in case of any sale, transfer or
lease to another corporation of all or substantially all the property of the
Company, proper provision shall be made that the Holder, upon the exercise of
Warrants after the consummation of such transaction, shall have the right
thereafter upon payment of the Warrant Price in effect immediately prior to such

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action to purchase upon exercise of each Warrant the kind and amount of shares
and other securities and property which it would have owned or have been
entitled to receive after the happening of such consolidation, merger, sale,
transfer or lease had the Warrant been exercised immediately prior to such
action. The Company shall mail by first-class mail, postage prepaid, to the
Holder, notice of the execution of any such agreement. Such agreement shall
provide for adjustments, which shall be as nearly equivalent as may be
practicable to the adjustments provided for in Section 6. The provisions of this
Section 6(d) shall similarly apply to successive consolidations, mergers, sales,
transfers or leases.

                 (d) Statement on Warrants. Irrespective of any adjustments in
the Warrant Price or the number or kind of shares purchasable upon the exercise
of the Warrants, Warrants theretofore or thereafter issued may continue to
express the same price and number and kind of shares as are stated in the
Warrants initially issuable.

         Section 7.  Fractional Interests. No fractional shares will be issued
upon the exercise of any Warrant, but the Company shall pay an amount in cash
equal to the closing price for one share of Common Stock, as determined above in
Section 1(f), multiplied by such fraction.

         Section 8.  Restrictions on Transfer.

                 (a) The Warrant and the Warrant Shares shall be subject to the
transfer restrictions set forth in the Stockholders Agreement dated as of
January 28, 1999, among the Company, New World Pasta, LLC, Miller Pasta, LLC and
Hershey Chocolate Confectionary Corporation, as the same may be amended from
time to time, as if the Holder were a party thereto; provided, however, that the
Warrant may be distributed, in whole or in part, by JLL Pasta, LLC to its
members or their respective affiliates.

                 (b) The Warrant and the Warrant Shares are "restricted
securities," as such term is defined in Rule 144 promulgated under the
Securities Act, and any resale of the Warrant or the Warrant Shares must be in
compliance with the registration requirements of the Securities Act or an
exemption therefrom.

         Section 9.  No Rights as Stockholders, Notices to Holders. Nothing
contained herein shall be construed as conferring upon the Holder the right to
vote or to receive dividends or to consent or to receive notice as a stockholder
in respect of any meeting of stockholders for the election of directors of the
Company or any other matter, or any rights whatsoever as stockholders of the
Company. If, however, at any time prior to the expiration of the Warrants and
prior to their exercise, any of the following events shall occur:

                     (i)   the Company shall declare any dividend payable in any
                 securities upon its shares of Common Stock or make any
                 distribution (other than a cash dividend) to the Holder of its
                 shares of Common Stock; or

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                     (ii)  the Company shall offer to the Holder shares of
                 Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for
                 shares of Common Stock or any right to subscribe for or
                 purchase any thereof; or

                     (iii) a dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the
                 Company (other than in connection with a consolidation, merger,
                 sale, transfer or lease of all or substantially all of its
                 property, assets, and business as an entirety) shall be
                 proposed,

then, in any one or more of said events, the Company shall give notice in
writing of such event to the Holder as provided in Section 10 hereof, such
giving of notice to be completed at least 10 days prior to the date fixed as a
record date or the date of closing the transfer books for the determination of
the stockholders entitled to such dividend, distribution, or subscription
rights, or for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote on such
proposed dissolution, liquidation or winding up. Such notice shall specify such
record date or the date of closing the transfer books, as the case may be.
Failure to publish, mail or receive such notice or any defect therein or in the
publication or mailing thereof shall not affect the validity of any action taken
in connection with such dividend, distribution or subscription rights, or such
proposed dissolution, liquidation or up.

         Section 10. Notices. Any notice by the Company to the Holder, or by the
Holder to the Company, shall be in writing and shall be delivered in person or
by facsimile transmission, or mailed first class, postage prepaid, (i) to the
Company, at its offices at New World Pasta Company, 85 Shannon Road, Harrisburg,
PA 17112, Attention: Chief Financial Officer or (ii) to the Holder, at the
registered address of such holder as set forth in the register kept at the
principal office of the Company. Each party hereto may from time to time change
the address to which notices to it are to be delivered or mailed hereunder by
notice to the other party.

         Section 11. Ownership. The Holder hereof may be treated by the Company
and all other persons dealing with this Warrant certificate as the absolute
owner hereof for any purpose and as the person entitled to exercise the rights
represented hereby, or to the transfer hereof on the books of the Company, any
notice to the contrary notwithstanding, and until such transfer on such books,
the Company may treat the Holder hereof as the owner for all purposes.

         Section 12. Applicable Law. The Warrant certificate and the
Warrants issued hereunder shall be governed by and construed in accordance with
the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to principles of
conflict of laws.

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         Section 13. Captions. The captions of the Sections and subsections of
this Warrant certificate have been inserted for convenience only and shall have
no substantive effect.

Dated:  August 13, 2001
                                 NEW WORLD PASTA COMPANY

                                 By: /s/ Wayne Robison
                                    ------------------------------

                                 Attest: /s/ Kathleen S. Purcell
                                        --------------------------

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                                                                       Exhibit A

                                 PURCHASE FORM

                   (To be executed upon exercise of Warrant)

To:  NEW WORLD PASTA COMPANY

         The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise the right of
purchase represented by the Warrant certificate for, and to purchase thereunder,
_______ shares of the Company's Common Stock, par value $.01 per share (the
"Common Stock"), as provided for therein, and herewith makes payment of $_______
therefore, and requests that any payment for fractional shares of Common Stock
and certificates for such shares of Common Stock issued hereby, shall be issued
in the name of, and delivered to, the following:

Date:

NAME
    -------------------------------
    (Please Print Name and Address)

Address
       -----------------------------

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

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

Signature
         ---------------------------

                                                If said number of shares shall
                                         not be all the shares purchasable
                                         under the within Warrant certificate, a
                                         new Warrant certificate is to be issued
                                         in the name of said undersigned for the
                                         balance remaining of the shares
                                         purchasable thereunder less any
                                         fraction of a share paid in cash.

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                                  Exhibit 10.1

                                   ADDENDUM TO
                  EXECUTIVE SEPARATION AND EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

     This Addendum (the "Addendum") to Executive Separation and Employment
Agreement (the "Agreement") is entered into as of the 1st day of August, 2001 by
and between OXIS International, Inc., its affiliated, related, parent or
subsidiary corporations (the "Company") and Ray R. Rogers ("Rogers"),
(collectively the "Parties").

                                    RECITALS

     A. The effective date of this Addendum is June 30, 2001, and the above date
of this Addendum is the date, for reference purposes, when all of the provisions
of this Addendum were first reduced to writing.

     B. Rogers has or will execute the form of Release I which was required to
be executed as of June 30, 2000, in accordance with the terms of the Agreement.

     C. The Parties agree that Rogers' employment under section 2 of the
Agreement has been continuous to the date hereof, without interruption and
therefore without the necessity of entering into the General Release of Claims
II which is the subject of section 2(c) of the Agreement.

     D. Based on the report of the Compensation Committee to the Board, the
Board of Directors of the Company has appointed Rogers as interim President,
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of the Company, effective
August 1, 2001, and Rogers has agreed to accept this appointment for a period of
one year ending June 30, 2002 subject to extension in accordance with section
2(b) of the Agreement and subject to earlier termination should the permanent
chief executive position for the Company be engaged in accordance with the
Company's "Business Plan" prior to June 30, 2002 (for purposes of this Addendum
the Business Plan is that particular plan developed as part of the negotiations
for a loan transaction to be entered into with _______________________________).

1.   Modification of Agreement.

     The Parties agree that this Addendum is entered into for good and valuable
consideration and is a modification of the Executive Separation and Employment
Agreement between Rogers and the Company and is entered into pursuant to section
12 of the Agreement. The Parties agree that all terms of the Agreement remain in
full force and effect except as expressly modified by this Addendum. Under
section 2 of the Agreement, Rogers' employment is now as the Chief Executive
Officer, not as Special Advisor. Section 3 of the Agreement changes in that
Rogers'

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position, duties and responsibilities now shift to those associated with
employment service as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Under section
4 of the Agreement, the specified compensation for Services is presently an
annual base salary of $200,000, not $240,000 (subject to other terms of this
Addendum hereinbelow set forth). Under section 8 of the Agreement, if Rogers'
employment with the Company terminates as the result of the hire of a permanent
CEO as contemplated under the Business Plan (and only as a result of such
permanent CEO hire), then Rogers' termination of employment will be for Good
Reason under section 8(d); however, if Rogers' employment continues after the
effective date of hire of the permanent CEO, then the Agreement shall be deemed
to have been further amended to reflect Rogers' new employment status. In
addition, under section 8(d) of the Agreement, it shall not be termination for
Good Reason under clause (iv) if as a result of the closing of the loan
transaction with __________________, the Company's principal offices are
relocated to or near the lender's principal offices (currently in southern
California) and Rogers is required to relocate along with such office
relocation.

2.   Extension of Period of Employment.

     The Initial Term of the Period of Employment under the Agreement is
extended to June 30, 2002 and the Agreement may be renewed in accordance with
section 2 of the Agreement for an additional one (1) year period following June
30, 2002. If either party declines to renew the Period of Employment, Rogers
shall receive those Non-Renewal Benefits identified in paragraph 2. c. of the
Agreement, except that he shall receive a continuation of his then-current
salary for a period of twelve (12) months after the Period of Employment. The
Company agrees that it shall defend and indemnify Rogers to the fullest extent
allowed by law for any acts within the course or scope of employment during the
Period of Employment or any renewal.

3.   Waiver of Termination by Executive for Good Reason.

     But for the terms of this Addendum, the Parties acknowledge that the
reduction of Rogers' base salary from $240,000 to $200,000 would have permitted
Rogers to terminate the Period of Employment "for Good Reason" as defined in
paragraph 8.d. of the Agreement and thereby become entitled to severance under
the Agreement. In consideration of this Addendum, Rogers has waived his right to
terminate the Agreement as a result of that reduction.

4.   Rate of Salary and New Stock Option.

     The Parties agree that effective May 1, 2001, Rogers shall be compensated
as follows: $200,000 annually in accordance with the Company's regular payroll
practices. In addition, Rogers shall receive stock options granted this date by
the Board of Directors which provide for an aggregate grant of 470,588 shares,
each with an exercise price of $.085 per share (determined to be the market
value of a share of common stock on this date). Of the total option grant
392,150 shares shall be qualified stock options, and the balance of 78,438
shares shall be non-qualified stock options. For vesting purposes this option
grant shall be deemed to have been made effective May 1, 2001, and vesting shall
be proportional on a monthly basis through the twelve-month period ending April
30, 2002. This means that as to the qualified option a total of

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39,215 shares shall vest monthly during the ten months ending February 28, 2002.
As to the non-qualified stock option shares, vesting on these shares shall occur
as to one-half of the option shares commencing March 1, 2002, with the remaining
one-half of the option shares vesting commencing April 2, 2002. In the event
Rogers' employment is terminated during this twelve-month period ending April
30, 2002, the qualified stock option shares then vested and eligible for
purchase may be purchased at any time on or prior to the expiration of 90 days
following such date of employment termination. The non-qualified stock option
portion may be purchased at any time on or before the lapse of the one-year
period following the date of such employment termination (as to shares, if any,
then vested). In all other respects these options shall be set forth on the
Company's form of stock option agreement as currently in use.

5.   Continuation of Base Salary Rate; Adjustment Thereof.

Rogers shall continue to be paid annually a base salary of $200,000. This annual
rate shall continue until the earliest of (a) the closing by the Company of any
transaction which secures new or additional financing of at least $1,000,000
(the "Financing Date") or (b) the occurrence of a "Change in Control". Upon the
first to occur of either of the foregoing events, Rogers shall receive an
immediate cash lump sum payment in amount equal to $3,333 multiplied by the
number of months (whole months and fractions of months) that have lapsed since
May 1, 2001, to and including the date of the occurrence of the first of either
of such two events. In addition to this lump sum cash payment Rogers' annual
base salary rate shall be increased to $240,000, payable in accordance with the
Company's then applicable payroll practices. In addition, the aggregate number
of shares subject to option as specified above in paragraph 4 shall be reduced
on the basis of 39,215 shares for each of the months of the twelve-month period
ending April 30, 2002 that remain after the effective date of either of said
events (i.e., the Financing Date or Change in Control date).

6.   Change in Control of Company.

     The following new clause (ix) shall be added in section 8(d) to the
definition of "Good Reason" for which Rogers may terminate his Period of
Employment:

"(ix) There occurs a change in control of the Company. For purposes of this
Agreement, a "change in control" of the Company shall be the occurrence of any
of the following: (i) the dissolution, liquidation, winding up the affairs, or
the sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of Company or the
adoption of a plan or proposal for the same; (ii) the sale, lease, exchange or
other transfer of all, or substantially all, the assets of Company; (iii) the
acquisition of 30% or more of the outstanding shares of Company's stock by an
entity, person or group other than Company or the issuance by the Company of
shares of voting securities representing at least 30% or more of the ownership
of the Company giving effect to such securities issue; or (iv) the holders of
the voting securities of the Company approve any other transaction of any kind
whereby a third party acquires actual control of the Company either through
ownership of the Company's assets or ownership of more than 50% of the Company's
then issued and outstanding voting securities (and if new shares are issued in
any such transaction, then the 50% amount is computed giving effect to the
issuance of new shares in that transaction). Notwithstanding the

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foregoing, it is not deemed to be a Change in Control for the Company to carry
out, pursuant to said Business Plan, the disposition (by sale, closure, write
off or otherwise) of the Company's assets and business unrelated to its
therapeutics development business. Further notwithstanding the foregoing, if
Rogers continues his employment with the Company, as an employee or independent
contractor, for any period of service after the effective date of any of the
aforementioned "Change in Control" transactions that occurs at any time within
twelve months of such effective date of Change in Control, then such transaction
is not a Change in Control event. The purpose of the immediately preceding
sentence is to prohibit Rogers from triggering his severance payments and then
resuming employment with the Company while retaining the right to continue
receipt of such severance payments.

7.   Additional Bonus.

     The parties agree that in the event of a sale of Oxis technology (including
but not limited to Palosein and/or rhSOD technology), Rogers shall be entitled
to a bonus payment equal to 10% of the gross sale price. Payment to Rogers of
his additional bonus shall be made as follows: the first 5% of the gross sale
price paid in cash shall be retained by the Company and all of the bonus to
which Rogers is entitled shall next be paid to Rogers from cash proceeds next
received in that transaction. While Rogers is employed by the Company, he has
full authority to negotiate and effect any such transaction.

8.   Life Insurance.

     The Parties agree that the life insurance policy on the life of Rogers,
which is currently owned by Rogers and for which premiums have previously been
paid by the Company, shall become the sole property of Rogers, and Rogers agrees
from this time forward to pay all premiums for this coverage should Rogers wish
to continue this policy in force. The Company relinquishes all ownership
interest and claims, as a creditor or otherwise, in respect of this policy. If
necessary, the Company will cooperate in relinquishing any secured interest in
the policy in favor of Rogers.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Addendum as of the date
first above written; and this Addendum is executed by the Company by its
signator thereunto duly authorized, to-wit the Chair of the Compensation
Committee.

OXIS International, Inc.                             /s/ Ray R. Rogers
                                                     ---------------------------
                                                     Ray R. Rogers

By: /s/ Stuart G. Lang
    -----------------------------------
The Compensation Committee of the
Board of Directors, acting by and
through its Chair, Stuart Lang

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