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                              EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

          EMPLOYMENT  AGREEMENT made this 1st day of October 1996  ("Agreement")
by and between  SENETEK,  PLC, having a place of business at 62A Weldon Parkway,
Maryland  Heights,  Missouri 63043  (hereinafter  referred to as "EMPLOYER") and
CLIFF D. BRUNE,  residing at 329 Glengary Drive, Aurora, Ohio 44202 (hereinafter
referred to as "EMPLOYEE").

                              W I T N E S S E T H:

          WHEREAS, the EMPLOYER is engaged in the business of developing various
biomedical products in the areas of male sexual dysfunction and age-related skin
disorders, as well as the manufacture and distribution of a wide range of health
and cosmetic beauty products; and

          WHEREAS, the EMPLOYER wishes to employ EMPLOYEE and EMPLOYEE wishes to
be employed by EMPLOYER in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in
this Agreement;

                             _____________________

          NOW, THEREFORE,  in consideration of the mutual covenants and promises
and  other  good and  valuable  consideration,  the  receipt  of which is hereby
acknowledged, it is mutually agreed as follows:

          FIRST:  The EMPLOYER does hereby employ,  engage and hire the EMPLOYEE
as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of EMPLOYER for a period
of 23 months commencing October 1, 1996 and terminating August 31, 1998, subject
to the provisions stated herein ("Term").

          SECOND:  The  EMPLOYEE  agrees  that he will at all times  faithfully,
industriously and to the best of his ability, experience and talent, perform all
of the duties that may be  required of and from him  pursuant to the express and
implicit term hereof.

          THIRD:  The EMPLOYER shall pay to the EMPLOYEE and the EMPLOYEE agrees
to  accept  from  the  EMPLOYER  in  full  payment  of the  EMPLOYEE's  services
hereunder,  compensation  at the rate of  $155,000  per year of the  Term.  Such
payments shall be paid pursuant to the procedures regularly established, as they
may be amended, by the EMPLOYER during the course of the Term of this Agreement.
Further,  the Employer  will provide the Employee a Lease car of the  Employee's
choice or cash equivalent of $550 per month of the Term.

          FOURTH:  Upon  the due  execution  and  delivery  of  this  Agreement,
EMPLOYER shall grant to EMPLOYEE stock options to


                                      
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purchase:  (a) 200,000  ordinary  shares of the EMPLOYER at an exercise price of
$1.25 per share;  (b) 100,000 ordinary shares at the exercise price of $1.50 per
share at August 31, 1997; and (c) 100,000  options at an exercise price of $4.00
at August 31, 1998.  Subject to all  securities and other  applicable  laws, the
Company will use reasonable  efforts to register  under a Form S-8  Registration
Statement all stock options granted to EMPLOYEE, or EMPLOYEE will have cost-free
demand registration rights on two occasions for the underlying shares.  EMPLOYEE
will  also  have  reasonable  piggy-back  registration  rights  for  the  shares
underlying these options. All stock options are exercisable over a period of the
greater of three (3) years from the date of grant and one (1) year following the
termination of this Agreement.

          FIFTH: EMPLOYEE may act as a consultant for other companies, provided,
such  arrangement  does not  interfere  with the business of EMPLOYER,  does not
directly or indirectly compete with EMPLOYER, does not cause any loss of time in
EMPLOYEE's  duties with  EMPLOYER,  and does not interfere  with the  EMPLOYEE's
ability  to  diligently  and  faithfully  serve  and  endeavor  to  further  the
EMPLOYER's interest. EMPLOYER recognizes that EMPLOYEE is currently a consultant
for the other companies listed on Schedule A hereto. In the event that EMPLOYEE,
during the term of the  Agreement,  wishes to act as a  consultant  to any other
company,  EMPLOYEE  will notify  EMPLOYER in writing  and  EMPLOYEE  must obtain
EMPLOYER's written consent,  which will not be unreasonably  withheld.  EMPLOYER
represents  and warrants  that this  Agreement  has been  ratified,  adopted and
confirmed by the Board of Directors of EMPLOYER.

          SIXTH:  Subject to Paragraph  FIFTH,  the EMPLOYEE shall devote all of
his working time,  attention,  knowledge and skill solely and exclusively to the
business and interest of the  EMPLOYER.  The EMPLOYEE  expressly  agrees that he
will not,  during the Term hereof or for two (2) years from the  termination  of
this  Agreement,  be involved  directly or indirectly,  in any form,  fashion or
manner, as a partner, officer,  director,  stockholder,  advisor,  consultant or
employee  in any other  business  similar  to or in any way  competing  with the
business of the EMPLOYER.  Nothing herein  contained shall,  however,  limit the
rights of the EMPLOYEE to own up to 35% of the capital stock or other securities
of any  corporation  whose  stock or  securities  are  publicly  owned or traded
regularly on a public exchange or in the over-the-counter  market, or to prevent
the EMPLOYEE from investing financially in, or limiting the EMPLOYEE's rights to
invest  financially  in, other  businesses not allied with or competing with the
business of the  EMPLOYER,  as long as EMPLOYEE  continues  to devote all of his
working  time,  attention,  knowledge  and skill solely and  exclusively  to the
business and interest of the EMPLOYER.

          SEVENTH:  During  the  course  of  EMPLOYEE's  employment  under  this
Agreement,  and for five (5) year thereafter,  the EMPLOYEE  specifically agrees
that he will not, at any time, in


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any  fashion,  form or manner,  either  directly or  indirectly,  use,  divulge,
disclose  or  communicate  to any  person,  firm or  corporation,  in any manner
whatsoever,  any confidential or proprietary  information of any kind, nature or
description  concerning any matters affecting or relating to the business of the
EMPLOYER,  including, without limitation the generality of the foregoing, any of
its  customers,  its  manner of  operations,  its plans,  its ideas,  processes,
programs,  its intellectual property or other data,  information or materials of
any kind,  nature or  description  without  regard to whether  any or all of the
foregoing  matters  shall be deemed  confidential,  material or  important.  The
parties hereto  stipulate that as between them the same as important,  material,
confidential  and gravely  affect the  effective and  successful  conduct of the
business of the EMPLOYER and its good will,  and that any breach of the terms of
this paragraph is a material breach thereof,  except where the EMPLOYEE shall be
acting on behalf of the EMPLOYER.  EMPLOYEE  understands  and agrees that in the
event  that  EMPLOYEE  violates  the  terms  and  conditions  as  stated in this
paragraph, that he will be subject to an injunction and damages, and understands
and agrees that EMPLOYER's  remedy to prevent further or continued  damages will
include a petition for injunctive relief.  EMPLOYEE expressly  acknowledges that
the  restrictions  contained in this  paragraph are  reasonable and are properly
required for the adequate protection of the EMPLOYER's interests.

          EMPLOYEE  further  understands  and agrees that EMPLOYER,  in entering
into this Agreement, is relying upon EMPLOYEE's representation and warranty that
all trade  secrets and other  proprietary  information  of EMPLOYER will be kept
strictly  confidential  by EMPLOYEE  and not  utilized by EMPLOYEE in any manner
whatsoever  other than on  EMPLOYER's  behalf  during  the course of  EMPLOYEE's
employment with EMPLOYER.

          EIGHTH:  EMPLOYEE agrees that during the term of this  Agreement,  and
for two (2) years after  termination  hereof,  he shall not,  for himself or any
third  party,  directly  or  indirectly  divert or  attempt  to divert  from the
EMPLOYER or its  subsidiaries or affiliates any business of any kind in which it
is engaged or employ,  solicit for  employment,  or recommend for employment any
person  employed by the EMPLOYER or by any of its  subsidiaries  or  affiliates,
during the period of such persons'  employment and for a period of two (2) years
thereafter.  EMPLOYEE expressly  acknowledges that the restrictions contained in
this  paragraph  are  reasonable  and are  properly  required  for the  adequate
protection of the EMPLOYER's interests.

          NINTH:  It is expressly  understood  and agreed that the terms of this
Agreement, except for Paragraphs SIXTH, SEVENTH and EIGHTH, may be determined by
the  EMPLOYER  prior  to  August  31,  1998  upon the  occurrence  of any of the
following events:

          (a)  Automatically  and without notice upon the death of the EMPLOYEE;
it is also understood that EMPLOYEE will be


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entitled to six months' salary which will be payable to his estate;

          (b) Persistent  absenteeism on the part of the EMPLOYEE,  which in the
reasonable  judgment of the Board of  Directors of the Company is having or will
have a material adverse effect on the performance of the EMPLOYEE's duties under
this Agreement;

          (c)  Deliberate  and wilful  failure to perform  normal  services  and
duties  required  of  EMPLOYEE  pursuant  to  this  Agreement,   except  if  the
performance of such duties or services would result in a violation of EMPLOYEE's
fiduciary  responsibility to the Company and its shareholders or is in violation
of applicable laws;

          (d) Any wilful act or failure to act, which in the reasonable  opinion
of the Board, is in bad faith to the material detriment of the EMPLOYER;

          (e) Conviction of a felony involving moral turpitude or dishonesty;

          (f) Total or partial  disability of the EMPLOYEE for a period of three
(3)  consecutive  months or  ninety  (90)  days in the  aggregate  so that he is
prevented from  satisfactorily  performing a substantial part of his duties;  it
being further  understood and agreed that any proceeds received by EMPLOYER from
a policy of disability  benefits  insurance or any other proceeds  received from
any Federal,  State or Municipal  agency of  government  will be credited to the
amount of compensation paid to EMPLOYEE by EMPLOYER; and

          (g) Fraudulent misconduct of the EMPLOYEE.

          In the  event  of a  material  change  in the  Board of  Directors  of
EMPLOYER (other than with the  acknowledgment of EMPLOYEE) or the wilful failure
of the Company to fulfill its material  obligations  under this Agreement,  upon
thirty  (30) days  written  notice by EMPLOYEE to  EMPLOYER,  EMPLOYEE  may also
terminate this Agreement, except that Paragraphs SIXTH, SEVENTH and EIGHTH shall
survive for the terms set forth in such paragraphs.

          TENTH:  EMPLOYER agrees that EMPLOYEE will be entitled during the Term
to all fringe benefits in effect for executive officers of the EMPLOYER, such as
Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Major Medical  insurance  benefits which are afforded
to key employees of the EMPLOYER including a life insurance policy of $500,000.

          ELEVENTH:  This  Agreement  contains  the total and  entire  agreement
between the parties and shall,  as of the effective  date hereof,  supersede any
and all other agreements between the



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parties.  The parties  acknowledge  and agree that  neither of them has made any
representations  that are not  specifically  set  forth  herein  and each of the
parties hereto acknowledge that he or it has relied upon his or its own judgment
in entering into the same.

          TWELFTH:  The  parties  hereto  do  further  agree  that no  waiver or
modification  of this  Agreement or of any  covenant,  condition  or  limitation
herein  contained,  shall be valid,  unless in writing and duly  executed by the
party  to be  charged  therewith  and that no  evidence  of any  proceedings  or
litigation  between  either of the  parties  arising  out of or  affecting  this
Agreement or the rights and  obligations of any party  hereunder  shall be valid
and binding unless such waiver or modification is in writing, duly executed, and
the parties  further  agree that the  provisions  of this  paragraph  may not be
waived except as herein set forth.

          THIRTEENTH:  The parties  hereto agree that it is their  intention and
covenant that this Agreement and the performance hereunder shall be construed in
accordance  with and under the laws of the State of Missouri  and that the terms
hereof may be enforced in any court of competent  jurisdiction  in an action for
specific performance which may be instituted under this Agreement.

          FOURTEENTH:  EMPLOYEE indemnifies and holds harmless EMPLOYEE from any
claims  of any  type  against  EMPLOYER  that  arise  prior  to the  date of the
commencement of this Agreement.

          FIFTEENTH:  EMPLOYEE warrants and represents to EMPLOYER that EMPLOYEE
has had sufficient and adequate  opportunity to consult with EMPLOYEE's  counsel
concerning  the within  agreement and is aware that EMPLOYER is relying upon the
within representation concerning entering into the agreement herein.

          SIXTEENTH:  All notices  required or  permitted  to be given by either
party  hereunder  shall be in writing  and  mailed by  registered  mail,  return
receipt requested, and by regular mail to the other party addressed as follows:

         If to EMPLOYER at:                    SENETEK, PLC
                                               62A Weldon Parkway
                                               Maryland Heights, Missouri  63043


         If to EMPLOYER at:                    CLIFF D. BRUNE
                                               329 Glengary Drive
                                               Aurora, Ohio  44202



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Any notice  mailed as provided  above shall be deemed  completed  on the date of
receipt, or five (5) days from the postmark on said postal receipt.




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         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have hereunto set their hands and seals
the day, month and year first above written.



                                  SENETEK, PLC



                             By: /S/ Anthony J. Cataldo
                                 CHAIRMAN & CEO


                   
                                  /S/ Cliff D. Brune                            
                                  CLIFF D. BRUNE





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