EX-10.1



 Exhibit 10.1 

ARROWHEAD RESEARCH CORPORATION 

2013 INCENTIVE PLAN 

STOCK OPTION AWARD AGREEMENT 

Unless otherwise defined herein, the terms defined in the Arrowhead Research Corporation 2013 Incentive Plan (as amended from time to time,
the “Plan”) shall have the same defined meanings in this Stock Option Award Agreement (this “Agreement”). 

AGREEMENT 
  

	 	A.	Grant of Option. 

 (i) The Optionee (the “Optionee”) named in the Notice of
Grant attached as Part I of this Agreement (the “Notice of Grant”) is granted an option (this “Option”), on the Date of Grant set forth in the Notice of Grant (the “Date of Grant”), to purchase the Number of Shares set
forth in the Notice of Grant (the “Number of Shares”, which amount is subject to adjustment pursuant to Section 7 of the Plan in respect of transactions occurring after the ), at the Exercise Price per share set forth in the Notice of
Grant (the “Exercise Price”), subject to the terms and conditions of the 2013 Incentive Plan, which is incorporated herein by reference. In the event of a conflict between the terms and conditions of the Plan and the terms and conditions
of this Agreement, the terms and conditions of the Plan shall prevail. 
 (ii) If designated in the Notice of Grant as an Incentive Stock
Option (“ISO”), this Option is intended to qualify as an ISO under Section 422(b) of the Code. However, if this Option is intended to be an ISO, to the extent that it exceeds the $100,000 rule of Code Section 422(d) it shall be
treated as a Non-statutory Stock Option (“NSO”). 
  

	 	B.	Exercise of Option. 

 (i) Right to Exercise. This Option is exercisable during
its term in accordance with the Vesting Schedule set out in the Notice of Grant (the “Vesting Schedule”) and the applicable provisions of the Plan and this Agreement. 

(ii) Exercise Period. In no event shall this Option be exercised later than the Expiration Date set forth in the Notice of Grant (the
“Expiration Date”). Specifically, any vested portion of this Option may be exercised after a termination of Employment, but not later than the Expiration Date. 

(iii) Method of Exercise. This Option is exercisable by delivery of an exercise notice, in the form attached as Exhibit A (the
“Exercise Notice”), which shall state the election to exercise the Option, the number of shares of Stock in respect of which this Option is being exercised (the “Exercised Shares”), and such other representations and agreements
as may be required by the Company pursuant to the provisions of the Plan. The Exercise Notice shall be completed by the Optionee and delivered to the Secretary or Chief Financial Officer of the Company. The Exercise Notice shall be accompanied by
payment of the aggregate Exercise Price as to all Exercised Shares. The portion of this Option representing the Exercised Shares shall be deemed to be exercised upon receipt by the Company of such fully executed Exercise Notice accompanied by such
aggregate Exercise Price and satisfaction by the Optionee of any required tax withholding. 
 (iv) Compliance with Applicable Laws.
No Stock shall be issued pursuant to the exercise of this Option unless such issuance and exercise complies with applicable laws. If at the time of exercise, the Optionee is prohibited by applicable law or written Company policy applicable to the
Optionee and similarly situated employees from engaging in any open-market sales of Stock, the Expiration Date will automatically be extended to thirty (30) days following the date the Optionee is no longer prohibited from engaging in such
open-market sales. 
  

	 	C.	Method of Payment. 

 Payment of the aggregate Exercise Price shall be by any of the
following, or a combination thereof, at the election of the Optionee: 
 (i) Cash; or 

  
 2013 Incentive Plan 








 (ii) Check; or 

(iii) Consideration received by the Company under a cashless exercise program implemented by the Company in connection with the
Plan; or 
 (iv) Surrender of other shares of Stock which (x) in the case of shares of Stock acquired upon exercise of
an option, have been owned by the Optionee for more than six (6) months on the date of surrender, and (y) have a fair market value on the date of surrender equal to the aggregate Exercise Price of the Exercised Shares. 

 

	 	D.	Non-Transferability of Option. 

 This Option may not be transferred except at death in
accordance with Section 6(a)(3) of the Plan and may be exercised during the lifetime of the Optionee only by the Optionee. The terms of the Plan and this Agreement shall be binding upon the executors, administrators, heirs, and beneficiaries of
the Optionee. 
  

	 	E.	Term of Option. 

 This Option may be exercised only within the term set out in the
Notice of Grant, and may be exercised during such term only in accordance with the Plan and the terms of this Agreement. Any portion of this Option that remains outstanding and that has not been exercised by the Expiration Date will thereupon
immediately terminate, except as otherwise expressly provided for in Section B.iv. above. Upon any termination of Employment prior to the Expiration Date, the provisions of Section 6(a)(4)(A)-(E) shall apply. 

 

	 	F.	Certain Tax Matters. 

 The Optionee expressly acknowledges and agrees that the
Optionee’s rights hereunder, including the right to be issued shares of Stock (or any portion thereof) upon exercise, are subject to the Optionee’s promptly paying, or in respect of any later requirement of withholding being liable
promptly to pay at such time as such withholdings are due, to the Company in cash (or by such other means as may be acceptable to the Administrator in its discretion) all taxes required to be withheld, if any. No shares of Stock will be transferred
pursuant to the exercise of this Option unless and until the person exercising this Option has remitted to the Company an amount in cash sufficient to satisfy any federal, state, or local requirements with respect to tax withholdings then due and
has committed (and by exercising this Option the Optionee shall be deemed to have committed) to pay in cash all tax withholdings required at any later time in respect of the transfer of such Exercised Shares, or has made other arrangements
satisfactory to the Administrator with respect to such taxes. The Optionee also authorizes the Company and its subsidiaries to withhold such amounts from any amounts otherwise owed to the Optionee, but nothing in this sentence shall be construed as
relieving the Optionee of any liability for satisfying his or her obligations under the preceding provisions of this Section. 
  

	 	G.	Forfeiture; Recovery of Compensation. 

 By accepting this Option the Optionee expressly
acknowledges and agrees that his or her rights (and those of any permitted transferee) under this Option or to any Stock acquired under this Option or any proceeds from the disposition thereof, are subject to Section 6(a)(5) of the Plan
(including any successor provision). 
  

	 	H.	Entire Agreement. 

 The Plan, this Agreement, and the Notice of Grant constitute the
entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the Company and the Optionee with respect to the subject matter hereof, and may not be modified
adversely to the Optionee interest except by means of a writing signed by the Company and the Optionee. 
  

	 	I.	NO GUARANTEE OF CONTINUED SERVICE. 

 THE OPTIONEE ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT THE
VESTING OF SHARES PURSUANT TO THE VESTING SCHEDULE IS EARNED ONLY BY CONTINUING EMPLOYMENT AT THE WILL OF THE COMPANY (AND NOT THROUGH THE ACT OF BEING HIRED, BEING GRANTED 

  
 2013 Incentive Plan 








 
AN OPTION OR PURCHASING STOCK HEREUNDER). THE OPTIONEE FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT THIS AGREEMENT, THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREUNDER AND THE VESTING SCHEDULE DO NOT CONSTITUTE AN
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED PROMISE OF CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT FOR THE VESTING PERIOD, FOR ANY PERIOD, OR AT ALL, AND SHALL NOT INTERFERE WITH THE OPTIONEE’S RIGHT OR THE COMPANY’S RIGHT TO TERMINATE THE OPTIONEE’S EMPLOYMENT AT ANY TIME, WITH OR
WITHOUT CAUSE. 
 The Optionee has reviewed the Plan, this Agreement, and the Notice of Grant in their entirety, has had an opportunity to obtain the advice
of counsel prior to executing this Agreement and fully understands all provisions of the Plan, this Agreement and the Notice of Grant. By accepting this Option, the Optionee agrees to be bound by, and agrees that the Option is subject in all
respects to, the terms of the Plan. The Optionee hereby agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the Committee upon any questions relating to the Plan, this Agreement, and the Notice of Grant. The
Optionee further agrees to notify the Company upon any change in the residence address indicated on this Agreement. 
  

					
	OPTIONEE	 		  	ARROWHEAD RESEARCH CORPORATION
			
	  
	 		  	  

			
	Signature	 		  	By
			
		 		  	Title
			
	Address:	 		  	Address:
			
		 		  	 225 S. Lake Avenue
 Suite 1050

Pasadena, CA 91101



  
 2013 Incentive Plan 








 EXHIBIT A 

ARROWHEAD RESEARCH CORPORATION 

2013 INCENTIVE PLAN 
 EXERCISE
NOTICE 
 Arrowhead Research Corporation 
 225 South Lake
Avenue, Suite 1050 
 Pasadena, California 91101 
 Attention:
Secretary or CFO 
 1. Exercise of Option. Effective as of today,
            ,             the undersigned (“Purchaser”) hereby elects to purchase
            shares (the “Shares”) of the Common Stock of Arrowhead Research Corporation (the “Company”) under and pursuant to the Company’s 2013 Incentive Plan (the
“Plan”) and the Stock Option Award Agreement, including the Notice of Grant attached thereto as Part I dated             ,
            (together, the “Option Agreement”). The purchase price for the Shares shall be $            , as required
by the Option Agreement. 
 2. Delivery of Payment. Purchaser herewith delivers to the Company the full purchase price for the
Shares. 
 3. Representations of Purchaser. Purchaser acknowledges that Purchaser has received, read and understood the Plan and the
Option Agreement and agrees to abide by and be bound by their terms and conditions. 
 4. Rights as Shareholder. Until the issuance
(as evidenced by the appropriate entry on the books of the Company or of a duly authorized transfer agent of the Company) of the Shares, no right to vote or receive dividends or any other rights as a shareholder shall exist with respect to the
optioned Stock, notwithstanding the exercise of the Option. The Shares so acquired shall be issued to the Optionee as soon as practicable after exercise of the Option. 

5. Tax Consultation. Purchaser understands that Purchaser may suffer adverse tax consequences as a result of Purchaser’s purchase
or disposition of the Shares. Purchaser represents that Purchaser has consulted with any tax consultants Purchaser deems advisable in connection with the purchase or disposition of the Shares and that Purchaser is not relying on the Company for any
tax advice. 
  

					
	Submitted by:	 		  	Accepted by:
			
	PURCHASER	 		  	ARROWHEAD RESEARCH CORPORATION
			
	  
	 		  	  

			
	Signature	 		  	By
			
	  
	 		  	  

			
	Print Name	 		  	Title
			
	  
	 		  	  

			
	Date Received	 		  	Date Received
			
	Address:	 		  	Address:
			
	  
	 		  	225 South Lake Avenue, Suite 1050
	  
	 		  	Pasadena, California 91101


  
 2013 Incentive Plan