Exhibit 10.52

INDEMNITY AGREEMENT

THIS INDEMNITY AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into this     
day of                              by and between ARCA biopharma, Inc., a
Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”), and                         
(“Agent”).

RECITALS

WHEREAS, Agent has agreed to perform a valuable service to the Corporation as a
[director/officer] of the Corporation;

WHEREAS, the Corporation has previously adopted amended and restated bylaws (as
amended, the “Bylaws”) providing for the indemnification of the directors,
officers, employees and other agents of the Corporation, including persons
serving at the request of the Corporation in such capacities with other
corporations or enterprises, as authorized by the Delaware General Corporation
Law, as amended (the “Code”);

WHEREAS, the Bylaws and the Code, by their non-exclusive nature, permit
contracts between the Corporation and its agents, officers, employees and other
agents with respect to indemnification of such persons; and

WHEREAS, in order to induce Agent to serve as a [director/officer] of the
Corporation, the Corporation has determined and agreed to enter into this
Agreement with Agent;

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of Agent’s service as a [director/officer] of
the Corporation after the date hereof, the parties hereto agree as follows:

AGREEMENT

1. Services to the Corporation. Agent will serve, at the will of the Corporation
or under separate contract, if any such contract exists, as a [director/officer]
of the Corporation or as a director, officer or other fiduciary of an affiliate
of the Corporation (including any employee benefit plan of the Corporation)
faithfully and to the best of his ability so long as he is duly elected and
qualified in accordance with the provisions of the Bylaws or other applicable
charter documents of the Corporation or such affiliate; provided, however, that
Agent may at any time and for any reason resign from such position (subject to
any contractual obligation that Agent may have assumed apart from this
Agreement) and that the Corporation or any affiliate shall have no obligation
under this Agreement to continue Agent in any such position.

2. Indemnity of Agent. Subject in all instances to the terms, conditions and
limitations of this Agreement, the Corporation hereby agrees to hold harmless
and indemnify Agent to the fullest extent authorized or permitted by the
provisions of the Bylaws and the Code, as the same may be amended from time to
time (but, only to the extent that such amendment permits the Corporation to
provide broader indemnification rights than the Bylaws or the Code permitted
prior to adoption of such amendment).

 

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3. Additional Indemnity. In addition to and not in limitation of the
indemnification otherwise provided for herein, and subject only to the
exclusions set forth in Section 4 hereof, the Corporation hereby further agrees
to hold harmless and indemnify Agent:

(a) against any and all expenses (including attorneys’ fees), witness fees,
damages, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement and any other amounts
that Agent becomes legally obligated to pay because of any claim or claims made
against or by him in connection with any threatened, pending or completed
action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, arbitrational,
administrative or investigative (including an action by or in the right of the
Corporation) to which Agent is, was or at any time becomes a party, or is
threatened to be made a party, by reason of the fact that Agent is, was or at
any time becomes a director, officer, employee or other agent of Corporation, or
is or was serving or at any time serves at the request of the Corporation as a
director, officer, employee or other agent of another corporation, partnership,
joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise; and

(b) otherwise to the fullest extent as may be provided to Agent by the
Corporation under the non-exclusivity provisions of the Code and Section 8 of
the Bylaws.

4. Limitations on Additional Indemnity. No indemnity pursuant to Section 3
hereof shall be paid by the Corporation:

(a) on account of any claim against Agent solely for an accounting of profits
made from the purchase or sale by Agent of securities of the Corporation
pursuant to the provisions of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 and amendments thereto or similar provisions of any federal, state or local
statutory law;

(b) on account of Agent’s conduct that is established by a final judgment as
knowingly fraudulent or deliberately dishonest or that constituted willful
misconduct;

(c) on account of Agent’s conduct that is established by a final judgment as
constituting a breach of Agent’s duty of loyalty to the Corporation or resulting
in any personal profit or advantage to which Agent was not legally entitled;

(d) [subject to Section 11(c) herein,] for which payment is actually made to
Agent under a valid and collectible insurance policy or under a valid and
enforceable indemnity clause, bylaw or agreement, except in respect of any
excess beyond payment under such insurance, clause, bylaw or agreement (it also
being understood that with respect to any policy or policies of director’s and
officer’s liability insurance procured by the Corporation, in its discretion,
for the benefit of its officers and directors, (i) Agent shall be named as an
insured, (ii) the Company shall give prompt notice of the commencement of any
proceeding involving Agent for which Agent is insured to the insurers in
accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective policies, (iii) the
Corporation shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause
such insurers to pay, on behalf of Agent, all amounts payable as a result of
such proceeding in accordance with the terms of such policies, and (iv) in the
event the Corporation makes any indemnification payments to Agent and Agent is
subsequently reimbursed from the proceeds of insurance, Agent shall promptly
refund such indemnification payments to the Corporation to the extent of such
insurance reimbursement).

 

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(e) if indemnification is not lawful (and, in this respect, both the Corporation
and Agent have been advised that the Securities and Exchange Commission believes
that indemnification for liabilities arising under the federal securities laws
is against public policy and is, therefore, unenforceable and that claims for
indemnification should be submitted to appropriate courts for adjudication); or

(f) in connection with any proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by Agent, or
any proceeding by Agent against the Corporation or its directors, officers,
employees or other agents, unless (i) such indemnification is expressly required
to be made by law, (ii) the proceeding was authorized by the Board of Directors
of the Corporation, (iii) such indemnification is provided by the Corporation,
in its sole discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the Corporation under
the Code, or (iv) the proceeding is initiated pursuant to Section 9 hereof.

5. Continuation of Indemnity. All agreements and obligations of the Corporation
contained herein shall continue during the period Agent is a director, officer,
employee or other agent of the Corporation (or is or was serving at the request
of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or other agent of another
corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other
enterprise) and shall continue thereafter so long as Agent shall be subject to
any possible claim or threatened, pending or completed action, suit or
proceeding, whether civil, criminal, arbitrational, administrative or
investigative, by reason of the fact that Agent was serving in the capacity
referred to herein.

6. Partial Indemnification. Agent shall be entitled under this Agreement to
indemnification by the Corporation for a portion of the expenses (including
attorneys’ fees), witness fees, damages, judgments, fines and amounts paid in
settlement and any other amounts that Agent becomes legally obligated to pay in
connection with any action, suit or proceeding referred to in Section 3 hereof
even if not entitled hereunder to indemnification for the total amount thereof,
and the Corporation shall indemnify Agent for the portion thereof to which Agent
is entitled.

7. Notification and Defense of Claim. Not later than thirty (30) days after
receipt by Agent of notice of the commencement of any action, suit or
proceeding, Agent will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the
Corporation under this Agreement, notify the Corporation of the commencement
thereof; but the omission so to notify the Corporation will not relieve it from
any liability which it may have to Agent otherwise than under this Agreement.
With respect to any such action, suit or proceeding as to which Agent notifies
the Corporation of the commencement thereof:

(a) the Corporation will be entitled to participate therein at its own expense;

(b) except as otherwise provided below, the Corporation may, at its option and
jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified and electing to
assume such defense, assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably
satisfactory to Agent. After notice from the Corporation to Agent of its
election to assume the defense thereof, the Corporation will not be liable to
Agent under this Agreement for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred
by Agent in connection with the defense thereof except for reasonable costs of

 

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investigation or otherwise as provided below. Agent shall have the right to
employ separate counsel in such action, suit or proceeding but the fees and
expenses of such counsel incurred after notice from the Corporation of its
assumption of the defense thereof shall be at the expense of Agent unless
(i) the employment of counsel by Agent has been authorized by the Corporation,
(ii) Agent shall have reasonably concluded, and so notified the Corporation,
that there is an actual conflict of interest between the Corporation and Agent
in the conduct of the defense of such action or (iii) the Corporation shall not
in fact have employed counsel to assume the defense of such action, in each of
which cases the fees and expenses of Agent’s separate counsel shall be at the
expense of the Corporation. The Corporation shall not be entitled to assume the
defense of any action, suit or proceeding brought by or on behalf of the
Corporation or as to which Agent shall have made the conclusion provided for in
clause (ii) above; and

(c) the Corporation shall not be liable to indemnify Agent under this Agreement
for any amounts paid in settlement of any action or claim effected without its
written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Corporation shall
be permitted to settle any action except that it shall not settle any action or
claim in any manner which would impose any penalty or limitation on Agent
without Agent’s written consent, which may be given or withheld in Agent’s sole
discretion.

8. Expenses. The Corporation shall advance, prior to the final disposition of
any proceeding, promptly following request therefor, all expenses incurred by
Agent in connection with such proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on
behalf of Agent to repay said amounts if it shall be determined ultimately that
Agent is not entitled to be indemnified under the provisions of this Agreement,
the Bylaws, the Code or otherwise.

9. Enforcement. Any right to indemnification or advances granted by this
Agreement to Agent shall be enforceable by or on behalf of Agent in any court of
competent jurisdiction if (i) the claim for indemnification or advances is
denied, in whole or in part, or (ii) no disposition of such claim is made within
ninety (90) days of request therefor. Agent, in such enforcement action, if
successful in whole or in part, shall be entitled to be paid also the expense of
prosecuting his claim. It shall be a defense to any action for which a claim for
indemnification is made under Section 3 hereof (other than an action brought to
enforce a claim for expenses pursuant to Section 8 hereof, provided that the
required undertaking has been tendered to the Corporation) that Agent is not
entitled to indemnification because of the limitations set forth in Section 4
hereof. Neither the failure of the Corporation (including its Board of Directors
or its stockholders) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of
such enforcement action that indemnification of Agent is proper in the
circumstances, nor an actual determination by the Corporation (including its
Board of Directors or its stockholders) that such indemnification is improper
shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that Agent is not
entitled to indemnification under this Agreement or otherwise.

10. Subrogation. [Except as provided in Section 11(c) below,] in the event of
payment under this Agreement, the Corporation shall be subrogated to the extent
of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Agent [(other than against
the Fund Indemnitors (as defined below))], who shall execute all documents
required and shall do all acts that may be necessary to secure such rights and
to enable the Corporation effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights.

 

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11. Non-Exclusivity of Rights.

(a) The rights of indemnification as provided by this Agreement shall not be
deemed exclusive of any other rights to which Agent may at any time be entitled
under applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation, the Bylaws, any
agreement, a vote of stockholders, a resolution of directors or otherwise, of
the Corporation. No amendment, alteration or repeal of this Agreement or of any
provision hereof shall limit or restrict any right of Agent under this Agreement
in respect of any action taken or omitted by such Agent in his or her capacity
as an officer or director of the Corporation prior to such amendment, alteration
or repeal. To the extent that a change in the Code, whether by statute or
judicial decision, permits greater indemnification than would be afforded
currently under the Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws and this Agreement, it
is the intent of the parties hereto that Agent shall enjoy by this Agreement the
greater benefits so afforded by such change. No right or remedy herein conferred
is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every other right
and remedy shall be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy
given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise.
The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise,
shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other right or
remedy.

(b) To the extent that the Corporation maintains an insurance policy or policies
providing liability insurance for directors, officers, employees, or agents or
fiduciaries of the Corporation or of any other corporation, partnership, joint
venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise that such person
serves at the request of the Corporation, Agent shall be covered by such policy
or policies in accordance with its or their terms to the maximum extent of the
coverage available for any director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary under
such policy or policies. If, at the time of the receipt of a notice of a claim
pursuant to the terms hereof, the Corporation has director and officer liability
insurance in effect, the Corporation shall give prompt notice of the
commencement of such proceeding to the insurers in accordance with the
procedures set forth in the respective policies. The Corporation shall
thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay,
on behalf of the Agent, all amounts payable as a result of such proceeding in
accordance with the terms of such policies.

(c) [The Corporation hereby acknowledges that Agent has certain rights to
indemnification, advancement of expenses and/or insurance provided by Atlas
Venture Fund VII, L.P. and certain of its affiliates (collectively, the “Fund
Indemnitors”). The Corporation hereby agrees (i) that it is the indemnitor of
first resort (i.e., its obligations to Agent are primary and any obligation of
the Fund Indemnitors to advance expenses or to provide indemnification for the
same expenses or liabilities incurred by Agent are secondary), (ii) that it
shall be required to advance the full amount of expenses incurred by Agent and
shall be liable for the full amount of all expenses, judgments, penalties, fines
and amounts paid in settlement to the extent legally permitted and as required
by the terms of this Agreement and the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws
(or any other agreement between the Corporation and Agent), without regard to
any rights Agent may have against the Fund Indemnitors, and, (iii) that it
irrevocably waives, relinquishes and releases the Fund Indemnitors from any and
all claims against the Fund Indemnitors for contribution, subrogation or any
other recovery of any kind in respect thereof. The Corporation further agrees
that no advancement or payment by the Fund Indemnitors on behalf of Agent with
respect to any claim for which Agent has sought indemnification from the

 

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Corporation shall affect the foregoing and the Fund Indemnitors shall have a
right of contribution and/or be subrogated to the extent of such advancement or
payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee against the Corporation.
The Corporation and Agent agree that the Fund Indemnitors are express third
party beneficiaries of the terms of this Section 11(c).]

12. Survival of Rights.

(a) The rights conferred on Agent by this Agreement shall continue after Agent
has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or other agent of the Corporation
or to serve at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee
or other agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust,
employee benefit plan or other enterprise and shall inure to the benefit of
Agent’s heirs, executors and administrators.

(b) The Corporation shall require any successor (whether direct or indirect, by
purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the
business or assets of the Corporation, expressly to assume and agree to perform
this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Corporation
would be required to perform if no such succession had taken place.

13. Separability. Each of the provisions of this Agreement is a separate and
distinct agreement and independent of the others, so that if any provision
hereof shall be held to be invalid for any reason, such invalidity or
unenforceability shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the other
provisions hereof. Furthermore, if this Agreement shall be invalidated in its
entirety on any ground, then the Corporation shall nevertheless indemnify Agent
to the fullest extent provided by the Bylaws, the Code or any other applicable
law.

14. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be interpreted and enforced in
accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware.

15. Amendment and Termination. No amendment, modification, termination or
cancellation of this Agreement shall be effective unless in writing signed by
both parties hereto.

16. Identical Counterparts; Facsimile Delivery. This Agreement may be executed
in one or more counterparts, each of which shall for all purposes be deemed to
be an original but all of which together shall constitute but one and the same
Agreement. Only one such counterpart need be produced to evidence the existence
of this Agreement. This Agreement may be delivered via facsimile.

17. Headings. The headings of the sections of this Agreement are inserted for
convenience only and shall not be deemed to constitute part of this Agreement or
to affect the construction hereof.

18. Notices. All notices, requests, demands and other communications hereunder
shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given (i) upon
delivery if delivered by hand to the party to whom such communication was
directed or (ii) upon the third business day after the date on which such
communication was mailed if mailed by certified or registered mail with postage
prepaid:

 

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(a) If to Agent, at the address indicated on the signature page hereof.

(b) If to the Corporation, to:

ARCA biopharma, Inc.

8001 Arista Place, Suite 200

Broomfield, CO 80021

Attention: Chief Executive Officer and General Counsel

or to such other addresses as may have been furnished to Agent by the
Corporation or the Corporation by Agent.

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement on and as of
the day and year first above written.

 

ARCA BIOPHARMA, INC. By:     Title:    

 

AGENT   Print Name:    

 

Address:    

 

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