Exhibit 10.17

EXECUTIVE OFFICER CASH COMPENSATION ARRANGEMENTS

Annual salaries for Avigen’s “named executive officers” are, as of March 15,
2009, as follows:

Name          Position          Salary Kenneth Chahine, J.D., Ph.D.  President,
Chief Executive  $        443,251   Officer and Director        Michael Coffee 
Chief Business Officer  $ 313,903   Kirk Johnson, Ph.D.  Vice President,
Research and  $ 278,528   Development        Andrew Sauter  Chief Financial
Officer  $ 267,931   M. Christina Thomson, J.D.  Vice President, General    $
267,931   Counsel and Secretary     

The Compensation Committee has not yet established target bonuses for 2009, nor
has it established criteria for corporate and individual performance objectives
that are intended to be used to determine actual bonuses to be paid for serviced
rendered in 2009.

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