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                                                              EXHIBIT NO. 10.9

          CONFIDENTIAL MATERIALS OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE
      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION. ASTERISKS DENOTE SUCH OMISSIONS.

                                    AGREEMENT

         This AGREEMENT is made and entered into April 26, 2001 by and between
NitroMed, Inc., a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business at
12 Oak Park Drive, Bedford, Massachusetts, 01730 (the "Company") and FoxKiser, a
law firm with its principal place of business at 750 17th Street, N.W., Suite
1100, Washington D.C. 20008 ("FoxKiser").

         In consideration of mutual agreements and covenants set forth below,
the Company and FoxKiser hereby agree as follows:

1. DEFINITIONS

         As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following
definitions:

         1.1 AFFILIATE. "Affiliate" of a Party shall mean any company
controlling, controlled by or under common control with such Party. For purposes
of this Section 1.1, "control" shall mean (a) in the case of corporate entities,
direct or indirect ownership of a least fifty percent (50%) of the stock or
shares having the right to vote for the election of directors, and (b) in the
case of non-corporate entities, direct or indirect ownership or a least fifty
percent (50%) of the equity interest with power to direct the management and
policies of such non-corporate entities. A company shall be considered an
"Affiliate" for only so long as such ownership or control exists.

         1.2 BIDIL PRODUCTS. "BiDil Products" shall mean the Company's
therapeutic products consisting of a combination of hydralazine and isosorbide
dinitrate (with or without one or more additional active ingredients) alone or
in combination with any other active compounds or active ingredients.

         1.3 FDA. "FDA" means the United States Food and Drug Administration.

         1.4 FIRST COMMERCIAL SALE. "First Commercial Sale" means the first
commercial sale of a BiDil Product by the Company, its Affiliates or its
sublicensees. Sales for test marketing, clinical trial purposes or compassionate
or similar use shall not be considered to constitute a First Commercial Sale.

         1.5 NET SALES. "Net Sales" shall mean the gross amount received by the
Company, its Affiliates and/or sublicensees from an unrelated third party on
sales or other dispositions of BiDil Products in the Territory, less the
following items: (a) trade, cash and quantity discounts, allowances and rebates
actually allowed and taken directly with respect to such sales or disposition;
(b) tariffs, duties, excises, value-added and sales taxes or other taxes imposed
upon and paid with respect to such sales or dispositions (excluding national,
state and local taxes based on income); (c) actual amounts repaid or credited by
reason of rejections, defects, recalls and

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returns or because of rebates or retroactive price reductions; and (d) freight,
postage, insurance and other transportation charges separately invoiced by
shipping such BiDil Product.

         1.6 PARTY. "Party" shall mean either the Company or FoxKiser, as
applicable. "Parties" shall mean the Company and FoxKiser, collectively.

         1.7 SERVICES. "Services" means those services provided by FoxKiser or
its Affiliates to obtain written FDA approval of the first BiDil product.
Subsequent to approval of the first BiDil product compensation for legal
services provided by FoxKiser shall be governed by a separate agreement to be
entered into between the Parties.

         1.8 THIRD-PARTY ROYALTY. "Third-Party Royalty" means the aggregate
royalty payable to the Company by any third party upon the sale of a BiDil
Product by such third party pursuant to the terms of a license or other business
arrangement between such third party and the Company, after deducting the
portion of such royalty which the Company is required to pay to Professor Jay N.
Cohn.

2. CONSIDERATION FOR SERVICES

         2.1 FEES AND EXPENSES. For Services rendered hereunder, the Company
shall pay to FoxKiser the following fees and expenses:

             (a) The Company shall pay FoxKiser its legal fees at its normal and
customary rates and fees for consulting services provided [**].

             (b) The Company agrees to reimburse FoxKiser for all reasonable and
necessary costs and expenses incurred by FoxKiser in connection with providing
the Services, including payments made to consultants, advisors or other third
parties which are retained by FoxKiser with Nitromed's consent.

         2.2 PAYMENT OF FEES AND EXPENSES.

             (a) For informational purposes only, FoxKiser will prepare and
submit to the Company a quarterly statement of the fee amounts described in
Section 2.1 (a) above. The Parties agree that the payment of such fees will be
deferred by the Company and will be paid in full by the Company within
forty-five (45) days after the date on which the Company has received written
FDA approval of the first BiDil Product.

             (b) The Company will pay to FoxKiser the expense amounts describe
in Section 2.1(b) above within thirty (30) days after receipt of such expenses.

         2.3 ROYALTIES. In further consideration for Services provided, upon
approval of any BiDil product, the Company agrees to pay to FoxKiser royalties
on the sales of that BiDil product as follows:

             (a) In the event that the Company elects to commercialize and sell
the BiDil Product independently, the Company shall pay to FoxKiser a royalty
equal to [**] percent ([**]%) for the Company's Net Sales.

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             (b) In the event that the Company elects to license to a third
party the right to commercialize and sell any BiDil Product, the Company shall
pay to FoxKiser a royalty equal to [**] percent ([**]%) of the Net Sales of that
BiDil Product by such third party, subject to adjustment as described in Section
2.3(c) below.

             (c) The royalty payment set forth in Section 2.3(b) shall be
subject to adjustment, based upon the good faith negotiation of the Parties, in
the event that the Company enters into a license or other business arrangement
with a third party on terms that limit the Third Party Royalty payable to the
Company to less than [**] percent ([**]%).

             (d) The royalty payments due for a BiDil product shall end six
months from the date of market introduction of a FDA-approved generic version of
that product.

         2.4 PAYMENT OF ROYALTIES.

             (a) All payments under Section 2.3 above shall be made within sixty
(60) days after the end of each calendar quarter by wire transfer to such bank
and account as FoxKiser may from time to time designate in writing. All such
payments shall be made in U.S. Dollars.

             (b) All payments due under Section 2.3. above but not paid by the
Company on the due date thereof shall bear interest at the U.S. prime rate of
CitiBank N.A. Such interest shall accrue on the balance of unpaid amounts
outstanding from the date on which portions of such amount become due and owing
until payment thereof in full.

3. ROYALTY REPORTS

         3.1 CONTENTS OF THE COMPANY'S REPORTS. The Company shall deliver to
FoxKiser within sixty (60) days after the end of each calendar quarter,
beginning with the calendar quarter in which the First Commercial Sale occurs, a
written report describing, for the applicable quarter: (a) the gross sales of
each BiDil Product by the Company, its Affiliates and sublicensees, together
with the deductions therefrom and resulting Net Sales; and (b) the total royalty
due on such Net Sales under Section 2.3. above. Each report shall be accompanied
by full payment to FoxKiser of the royalties payable under Section 2.3 above.

         3.2 ROYALTIES MISTAKENLY PAID ON RETURNED BIDIL PRODUCTS. If the
Company pays a royalty on a BiDil Product which has been or is subsequently
returned to the Company or its Affiliate or sublicensee, the amount of the
royalty so paid shall be deemed a nonrefundable credit against royalties payable
by the Company for subsequent calendar quarters.

         3.3 THE COMPANY'S BOOKS AND RECORDS. The Company agrees to make and
keep, and agrees to cause it Affiliates and sublicensees to make and keep, full
and accurate books and records in sufficient detail to enable royalties payable
hereunder to be determined. On thirty (30) days' prior written notice to the
Company, FoxKiser and its certified public accountants, on one occasion during
each calendar year, shall have reasonable access to such books and records of
the Company and its Affiliates and sublicensees pertaining to activities under
this Agreement and shall each have the right to make copies therefrom at
FoxKiser's expense. FoxKiser and its certified public accountants shall each
have such access at all reasonable times and from time to time during normal
business hours. Prompt adjustment shall be made by the proper Party to

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compensate for any errors or omissions disclosed by such audit. FoxKiser agrees
to hold confidential all information learned in the course of any examination of
books and records hereunder except when it is necessary for FoxKiser to reveal
such information in order to enforce its rights under this Agreement or except
when compelled by law or when such information is publicly available without
breach by FoxKiser.

         3.4 THE COMPANY'S REPORTS CONCLUSIVELY CORRECT. In the absence of
fraud, all reports and payments not disputed as to correctness by FoxKiser
within three (3) years after receipt thereof shall thereafter conclusively be
deemed correct for all purposes.

4. TERM AND TERMINATION

         4.1 TERM OF AGREEMENT. Unless it is terminated earlier pursuant to this
Article 4, this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect unless and
until a renegotiation is triggered as set forth in Section 2.3 above.

         4.2 TERMINATION FOR MATERIAL BREACH. Upon any material breach of this
Agreement by either the Company, on one hand, or FoxKiser on the other hand (in
such capacity, the "Breaching Party"), the other Party or Parties (in such
capacity, the "Non-Breaching Party") may terminate this Agreement by providing
sixty (60) days' written notice to the Breaching Party, specifying the material
breach. The termination shall become effective at the end of the sixty (60) day
period unless (a) the Breaching Party cures such breach during such sixty (60)
day period, or (b) if such breach is not susceptible to cure within sixty (60)
days of the receipt of written notice of the breach, the Breaching Party is
diligently pursuing a cure (unless such breach, by its nature, is incurable, in
which case the Agreement may be terminated immediately). Any dispute over
whether a material breach has occurred shall be resolved by binding arbitration.

         4.3 PAYMENT OBLIGATIONS CONTINUE. Upon termination of this Agreement,
nothing shall be construed to release the Company from its obligations to pay
FoxKiser any and all royalties or other amounts accrued but unpaid hereunder
prior to the date of such termination.

5. MISCELLANEOUS

         5.1 ASSIGNMENTS. This Agreement and any and all of the rights and
obligations of any Party hereunder shall not be assigned, delegated, sold,
transferred or otherwise disposed of, by operation of law or otherwise, without
the prior written consent of the Company, on one hand, or FoxKiser, on the other
hand, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld; provided, however, that
the Company may assign, delegate, sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of rights
and obligations hereunder without such prior written consent to any purchaser of
all or substantially all of the assets or stock of the Company, through merger,
consolidation or otherwise, provided that in any such case such assignee or
successor expressly assumes the obligations of the Company hereunder. This
Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of, the Company and
FoxKiser and their respective successors and assigns, to the extent such
assignments are in accordance with this Section 5.1.

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         5.2 GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement shall be governed, interpreted and
construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
applicable to agreements made and to be fully performed therein.

         5.3 WAIVER. A waiver of any breach of any provision of this Agreement
shall not be construed as a continuing waiver of other breaches of the same or
other provisions of this Agreement.

         5.4 NOTICES.

             (a) Each notice required or permitted to be sent under this
Agreement shall be given by facsimile transmission or by registered or recorded
delivery letter to the Parties, to the attention of Allan Fox of FoxKiser and
Michael Loberg of NitroMed, at the addresses indicated on the first page here.

             (b) Any properly addressed notice if given or made by registered or
recorded delivery letter shall be deemed to have been received on the earlier of
the date actually received and the date five (5) business days after the same
was posted (and in proving such it shall be sufficient to prove that the
envelope containing the same was properly addressed and posted as aforesaid) and
if given or made by facsimile transmission shall be deemed to have been received
at the time of dispatch, unless such date of deemed receipt is not a business
day, in which case the date of deemed receipt shall be the next succeeding
business day.

         5.5 ENTIRE UNDERSTANDING. This Agreement between the Parties entered
into as of the date hereof embody the entire understanding between the Parties
relating to the subject matter hereof, whether written or oral, and there are
not prior representations, warranties or agreements between the Parties not
contained in this Agreement.

         5.6 AMENDMENTS. Any amendment or modification of any provision of this
Agreement must be in writing, dated and signed by each of the Parties hereto.

         5.7 HEADINGS. Any headings contained herein are for directory purposes
only, do not constitute a part of this Agreement, and shall not be employed in
interpreting this Agreement.

         5.8 COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in any number of
counterparts and each such counterpart shall be deemed to be an original.

         5.9 DISPUTE RESOLUTION. All disputes under this agreement, including
disagreements with respect to the calculation of royalties, shall be resolved by
binding arbitration.

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         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have signed this Agreement as of
the date first written above.

                                               NITROMED, INC.

                                               By:  /s/ MICHAEL LOBERG
                                                   ----------------------------
                                               Name:  Michael Loberg
                                               Title: President

                                               FOXKISER

                                               By:  /s/ ALLAN M. FOX
                                                    ---------------------------
                                               Name:  Allan M. Fox
                                               Title: Partner'
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                                                          EXHIBIT NO. 10.10

          CONFIDENTIAL MATERIALS OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE
        SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION. ASTERISKS DENOTE OMISSIONS.

                                    AGREEMENT

     THIS AGREEMENT, effective March 13, 1995, is made by and between NitroMed,
Inc., One Kendall Square, Building 200, Cambridge, MA 02139 ("NitroMed") and
John D. Folts, Ph.D., 2537 Chamberlain Avenue, Madison, WI 53705 ("Folts").

     1. In consideration of the mutual promises contained herein and for other
good and valuable consideration, Folts has assigned his entire right, title and
interest in and to the U.S. patent application entitled "Use of Nitric Oxide
Adducts to Prevent Thrombosis on Artificial and Vascular Surfaces" having Serial
No. 08/123,331 which was filed on September 17, 1993 and in and to the subject
matter disclosed therein and to all divisional, continuing, substitute, renewal,
reissue, extension and all other applications for Letters Patent which have been
or shall be filed in the United States and all other countries on any of said
improvements, and in and to all original and reissued patents which have been or
shall be issued in the United States and all other countries on said
applications (the "Patent Rights").

     2. Folts represents and warrants to NitroMed that he had an unencumbered
ownership interest in and to the Patent Rights as well as the unencumbered right
to assign his right, title and interest in and to the Patent Rights.

     3. The term "Product" as used herein means any article, composition,
apparatus, substance, chemical, material, method or service which is covered by
the Patent Rights.

     4. The term "Net Sales Price" means the total amount received by NitroMed
from sale of Product, less transportation charges and insurance, sales taxes,
use taxes, excise taxes, value

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added taxes, customs duties or other imports, normal and customary quantity and
cash discounts, and allowances and credit on account of rejection or return of
Product.

     5. The term "Sublicensee" shall mean any non-Affiliate third party licensed
by NitroMed to make, have made, import, use or sell any Product under the Patent
Rights. The term "Affiliate" means any company or other legal entity other than
NitroMed in whatever country organized, controlling, controlled by or under
commoncontrol with NitroMed. The term "control" means possession of the power to
direct or cause the direction of the management and policies whether through the
ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.

     6. From and after the effective date of this Agreement, NitroMed shall pay
(i) [**]percent ([**]%) of Net Sales Price by NitroMed and its Affiliates and
(ii) [**] percent ([**]%) of Net Sales Price by its Sublicensees of Product for
so long as pending or issued Patent Rights are in force. Such payments shall be
made at the beginning of each calendar quarter for sales which occurred in the
preceding quarter.

     7. This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding between the parties
with respect to the subject matter contained herein and any amendment or change
shall not be binding unless in writing and signed by the parties hereto. In
addition, this Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, other than those provisions governing conflicts
of law.

     Accordingly, the parties have executed this Agreement by their authorized
representatives.

NITROMED, INC.                                      JOHN D. FOLTS, Ph.D.

By:     /s/Marcel Worcel                             /s/John D. Folts
        -----------------                           -----------------
Title:  President and Chief Executive Officer       John D. Folts, Ph.D.

                                       -2-
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                         AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT BETWEEN
                        JOHN D. FOLTS AND NITROMED, INC.

     This Amendment is effective as of November 22, 1996 by and between
NitroMed, Inc., a Delaware corporation, having offices at 801 Albany Street,
Boston, Massachusetts 02118 ("NitroMed") and John D. Folts, Ph.D., 2537
Chamberlain Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53705 ("Folts").

     WHEREAS, NitroMed and Folts entered into an Agreement effective as of March
     13, 1995 (the "Agreement"); and

     WHEREAS, NitroMed and Folts desire to amend such Agreement.

     NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises and other good and
valuable consideration, the parties agree as follows:

     1. All initially capitalized terms in this Amendment shall have the same
meaning as in the AGREEMENT of March 13, 1995.

     2. Section 6 of the AGREEMENT is amended and rewritten in its entirety to
read as follows:

     From and after the effective date of this Amendment, NitroMed shall pay
(i) [**] percent ([**]%) of the Net Sales Price of Product sold or distributed
by NitroMed and its Affiliates and (ii) [**] percent ([**]%) of royalties
received by NitroMed from a Sublicensee for sale or distribution of a Product by
such Sublicensee, in each case for so long as pending or issued Patent Rights
are in force which cover such Product. Such payments shall be made at the
beginning of each calendar quarter for sales which occurred in the preceding
quarter.

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     3. The AGREEMENT is hereby amended effective as of the date first above
written in accordance with Paragraph 7 thereof. Except as amended herein or
previously amended, the terms and conditions of the AGREEMENT remain in full
force and effect as originally written.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the Date
set forth above.

NITROMED, INC.                                     JOHN D. FOLTS, Ph.D.

By:    /s/Marcel Worcel                            /s/John D. Folts
       ----------------------------------          --------------------------
       Manuel Worcel, M.D.
Title: President and Chief Executive Officer       Title:  Professor of Medicine

                                       -2-

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                           AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT BETWEEN
                          JOHN D. FOLTS AND NITROMED, INC.

     This Amendment is effective as of December 2, 1998 by and between
NitroMed, Inc., a Delaware corporation, having offices at 12 Oak Park Drive,
Bedford, Massachusetts 01730 ("NitroMed") and John D. Folts, Ph.D., 2537
Chamberlain Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53705 ("Folts").

     WHEREAS, NitroMed and Folts entered into an Agreement effective as of
March 13, 1995 and amended as of November 22, 1996 (the "AGREEMENT"); and

     WHEREAS, NitroMed and Folts desire to amend such Agreement,

     NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises and other good
and valuable consideration, the parties agree as follows:

     1.  All initially capitalized terms in this Amendment shall have the
same meaning as in the AGREEMENT of March 13, 1995.

     2.  Section 1 of the AGREEMENT is amended and rewritten in its entirety
to read as follows:

     In consideration of the mutual promises contained herein and for good
and valuable consideration, Folts has assigned his entire right, title and
interest in and to the U.S. patent applications entitled

     "Use of Nitric Oxide Adducts to Prevent Thrombosis on Artificial and
Vascular Surfaces" having Serial No. 08/123,331, which was filed on September
15, 1993,

     "Localized Use of Nitric Oxide Adducts to Prevent Internal Tissue
Damage" having serial number 08/438,418, which was filed on May 10, 1995, and

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     "Localized Use of Nitric Oxide Adducts to Prevent Internal Tissue
Damage" having Serial No. 08/460,465, which was filed on June 2, 1995,

and in and to the subject matter disclosed therein and to all divisional,
continuing substitute, renewal, reissue, extension and all other applications
for Letters Patent which have been or shall be filed in the United States and
all other countries on any of said applications, and in and to all original
and reissued patents which have been or shall be issued in the United States
and all other countries on said applications (the "Patent Rights").

     3.  The AGREEMENT is hereby amended effective as of the date first above
written in accordance with Paragraph 7 thereof. Except as amended herein or
previously amended, the terms and conditions of the AGREEMENT remain in full
force and effect as originally written.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement by their
authorized representatives.

NITROMED, INC.                                  JOHN D. FOLTS, Ph.D.

By:  /s/ MANUEL WORCEL, M.D.                    By:  /s/ JOHN D. FOLTS, Ph.D.
     -----------------------------                   ------------------------
     Manuel Worcel, M.D.                             John D. Folts, Ph.D.
     President

                                       -2-

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