Document:

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                                                                  EXHIBIT 10.164

                         THE IMMUNE RESPONSE CORPORATION

                                   BONUS PLAN

The Company maintains an unwritten discretionary bonus plan. On December 1, 2004
the Board made the following awards:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                          CASH
                          BONUS           STOCK OPTION
                          -----           ------------
<S>                     <C>        <C>
-  Dr. John Bonfiglio   $ 225,000  75,000 fully vested options
-  Mr. Michael Green      135,000               -
-  Dr. Georgia Theofan     55,000               -
</TABLE>

In addition, these awards to Dr. Bonfiglio and Mr. Green were made pursuant to
their respective employment agreements.<PAGE>

                                                                  EXHIBIT 10.165

November 22, 2004

Dr. John Bonfiglio
c/o The Immune Response Corporation
5931 Darwin Court
Carlsbad, CA  92008

Dear John:

Pursuant to this letter agreement (the "Agreement") we are pleased to make to
you the following offer of employment with The Immune Response Corporation (the
"Company"):

1.    Responsibilities

Your title will be President and Chief Executive Officer (or CEO) of the
Company, effective January 1, 2005 (the "Effective Date"). As the CEO, you will
report to the Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board"). You also will
serve as a member of the Board.

2.    Term of Employment

The initial term of your employment shall commence on the Effective Date and
shall, except as provided in Section 4.1 hereof, continue through December 31
2006 (the "Term"). Thereafter, the term of this Agreement shall be automatically
extended for successive and additional two-year periods, unless either party
shall provide a written notice of termination to the other at least ninety (90)
days prior to the end of the Initial Term or any extended term. The term of this
Agreement is subject to early termination in accordance with the provisions set
forth in Section 3 hereof.

3.    Compensation and Benefits

You shall be entitled to the following:

            Base salary at the annual rate of $300,000, or at such increased
            rate as the Board, in its sole discretion, may hereafter from time
            to time determine ("Base Salary) payable bi-weekly. During the term
            of this Agreement, your Base Salary will be reviewed annually by the
            Board to determine whether such Base Salary should be increased in
            light of your duties, responsibilities and performance, and, if it
            is determined by the Board that an increase is merited, such
            increase shall be promptly put into effect and

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            your Base Salary, as so increased, shall constitute your Base Salary
            for purposes of this Section..

            In the event that the Company hires any other Officer, the CEO shall
            be entitled to a base salary annualized at10% greater than the
            annual rate of any other Officer

            Within thirty (30) days after the Effective Date, the Board shall
            meet with you to discuss the terms and conditions under which you
            shall be paid an annual bonus, whereby the Board and you shall
            mutually agree on (a) the standards by which an annual bonus shall
            be paid to you and (b) the amount of such annual bonus or the
            formula by which such annual bonus amount is to be determined. The
            bonus amount may be up to (but not greater than) 100% of base salary
            unless the Compensation Committee agrees that a higher percentage is
            warranted due to exceptional performance.

      3.1   The Company will provide health benefits to the CEO and his family
            at the Company's cost. The Company will also pay for a term life
            insurance policy for a total of not less than $400,000. All other
            benefits (disability insurance, 401k Plan, flex spending account)
            shall be according to the existing Company policies. The Company
            will also pay for MediJet insurance for travel outside the US
            beginning as of the Effective Date.

      3.2   The Company will provide a minimum of four (4) weeks annual paid
            vacation.

      3.3   Subject to receipt of all requisite approvals of the Board, you will
            receive a grant of stock options to purchase 250,000 shares of the
            common stock of the Company (the "CEO Options") that will vest in
            accordance with the Company's stock option plan or as otherwise set
            forth in this Section 3.3. The exercise price for the CEO Options
            will be the closing price of the stock on the day the approval of
            the Board is obtained. The CEO Options will vest according to the
            following schedule:

            (a)   75,000 options will vest immediately on the Effective Date;

            (b)   The remainder will vest pro rata over the next two years on a
                  daily basis.

            In the event of the occurrence of a Change of Control (as described
            below), the CEO Options (or any substituted stock options) shall, as
            of the date of such Change of Control, vest in full and become fully
            exercisable to the extent not previously vested or exercisable, and
            shall continue to be exercisable for a period of six (6) months or
            until the applicable expiration date of such options (in accordance
            with their terms), whichever period is shorter. For purposes of this
            Agreement, "Change of Control" shall mean any of the following
            events:

            (1)   a sale, lease or other disposition of all or substantially all
                  of the assets of the Company so long as the Company's
                  stockholders immediately prior to

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                  such transaction will, immediately after such transaction,
                  fail to possess direct or indirect beneficial ownership of
                  more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting power of the
                  acquiring entity (for purposes of this section, any person who
                  acquired securities of the Company prior to the occurrence of
                  such asset transaction in contemplation of such transaction
                  and who after such transaction possesses direct or indirect
                  ownership of at least ten percent (10%) of the securities of
                  the acquiring entity immediately following such transaction
                  shall not be included in the group of stockholders of the
                  Company immediately prior to such transaction);

            (2)   either a merger or consolidation in which the Company is not
                  the surviving corporation and the stockholders of the Company
                  immediately prior to the merger or consolidation fail to
                  possess direct or indirect beneficial ownership of more than
                  fifty percent (50%) of the voting power of the securities of
                  the surviving corporation (or if the surviving corporation is
                  a controlled subsidiary of another entity, then the required
                  beneficial ownership shall be determined with respect to the
                  securities of that entity which controls the surviving
                  corporation and is not itself a controlled subsidiary of any
                  other entity) immediately following such transaction, or a
                  reverse merger in which the Company is the surviving
                  corporation and the stockholders of the Company immediately
                  prior to the reverse merger fail to possess direct or indirect
                  beneficial ownership of more than fifty percent (50%) of the
                  securities of the Company (or if the Company is a controlled
                  subsidiary of another entity, then the required beneficial
                  ownership shall be determined with respect to the securities
                  of that entity which controls the Company and is not itself a
                  controlled subsidiary of any other entity) immediately
                  following the reverse merger (for purposes of this section,
                  any person who acquired securities of the Company prior to the
                  occurrence of a merger, reverse merger, or consolidation in
                  contemplation of such transaction and who after such
                  transaction possesses direct or indirect beneficial ownership
                  of at least ten percent (10%) of the securities of the Company
                  or the surviving corporation (or if the Company or the
                  surviving corporation is a controlled subsidiary, then of the
                  appropriate entity as determined above) immediately following
                  such transaction shall not be included in the group of
                  stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such
                  transaction);

            (3)   an acquisition by any person, entity or group within the
                  meaning of Section 13(d) or 14(d) of the Securities Exchange
                  Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or any
                  comparable successor provisions (excluding any employee
                  benefit plan, or related trust, sponsored or maintained by the
                  Company or a subsidiary or other controlled Subsidiary of the
                  Company) of the beneficial ownership (within the meaning of
                  Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act, or comparable
                  successor rule) of securities of the Company representing at
                  least fifty percent (50%) of the combined voting power
                  entitled to vote in the election of directors; or

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            (4)   the individuals who, as of the date of this Agreement, are
                  members of the Board (the "Incumbent Board"), cease for any
                  reason to constitute at least fifty percent (50%) of the
                  Board. If the election, or nomination for election by the
                  Company's stockholders, of any new director was approved by a
                  vote of at least fifty percent (50%) of the Incumbent Board,
                  such new director shall be considered as a member of the
                  Incumbent Board.

            Notwithstanding the foregoing, a public offering (including the
            initial or any subsequent public offering) of the common stock of
            the Company shall not be considered a "Change of Control."

      3.4   Reimbursement from the Company for all reasonable and customary
            expenses incurred by you in performing services under this
            Agreement, including travel expenses, expenses related to wireless
            communications (cell phone and if necessary Blackberry or other such
            devices) and reasonable expenses related to home communications for
            the company (e.g., high speed internet access, fax, computer and
            accessories if needed) and other out-of-pocket expenses, in
            accordance with your expense account and the Company's reimbursement
            policies and provided that you shall submit to the Company
            reasonable documentation with respect to such expenses.

4.    Termination of Employment

      4.1   Events of Termination

      Your employment with the Company may be terminated prior to the expiration
      of the Initial Term or extended term set forth in Section 2 hereof as
      follows:

            (a)   With Cause. Your employment with the Company may be terminated
                  at any time for "Cause." As used in this Agreement, the term
                  "Cause" shall mean (i) your willful misconduct or willful
                  failure to fulfill and perform your stated duties, including
                  the obligations stated herein, which misconduct or failure, if
                  curable, is not fully cured to the reasonable satisfaction of
                  the Board within thirty (30) days after written notice
                  thereof, (ii) any material breach by you of any provision of
                  this Agreement, which, if curable, is not fully cured to the
                  reasonable satisfaction of the Board within thirty (30) days
                  after written notice thereof or (iii) your committing an act
                  of theft, fraud, dishonesty, embezzlement with regard to the
                  Company or your conviction of a felony. For purposes hereof,
                  no act, or failure to act, on your part shall be deemed
                  "willful" unless done, or omitted to be done, by you not in
                  good faith and without reasonable belief that your act, or
                  failure to act, was in the best interest of the Company.

            (b)   Without Cause; Good Reason. Your employment with the Company
                  may be terminated, by either party, upon not less than ninety
                  (90) days prior

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                  written notice to the other, without Cause by the Company or
                  for "Good Reason" by you. As used herein, the term "Good
                  Reason" shall mean the occurrence, without your consent, of
                  any of the following: (i) any material diminution of your
                  position, duties or responsibilities hereunder (except in each
                  case in connection with the termination of your employment for
                  Cause or disability or as a result of your death, or
                  temporarily as a result of your illness or other absence, or
                  any diminution of duties resulting from the hiring by the
                  Company of a new President and/or Chief Executive Officer) and
                  (ii) any material breach by the Company of any provision of
                  this Agreement; provided, however, that you give the Company
                  written notice of such breach with a thirty (30) day
                  opportunity for the Company to cure such breach.

            (c)   Death. In the event of your death, your employment shall
                  terminate on the date of death. The Company will be
                  responsible for paying the remainder of the employment
                  contract base salary and options to the Bonfiglio Family
                  Trust.

            (d)   Disability. In the event of your Disability (as defined
                  below), the Company may terminate your employment by giving to
                  you a written notice of termination. Such notice shall specify
                  the date of termination, which date shall not be earlier than
                  thirty (30) days after the notice of termination given. For
                  purposes of this Agreement, "Disability" means your inability
                  to substantially perform your duties hereunder for ninety (90)
                  consecutive days or one hundred eighty (180) days out of three
                  hundred sixty five (365) days as a result of a physical or
                  mental illness or condition, all as determined in good faith
                  by the Board.

      4.2   The Company's Obligations Upon Termination

            Following the termination of your employment under the circumstances
            described below, the Company shall pay to you the following
            compensation and provide the following benefits in full satisfaction
            and final settlement of any and all claims and demands that you now
            have or hereafter may have against the Company in connection
            herewith subject to your executing and delivering a release to the
            Company as provided in Section 4.4 below prior to the provision of
            the compensation and benefits set forth below:

            (a)   Termination Without Cause by the Company or with Good Reason
                  by You or Failure by the Company to Extend Your Term. In the
                  event that your employment shall be terminated by the Company
                  pursuant to Section 4.1(b) hereof or upon expiration of the
                  initial or any renewal term of this Agreement or pursuant to
                  written notice by you in accordance with Section 4.1(b)
                  thereof, you will be entitled to the payment of your annual
                  base salary for a period of twelve (12) months paid monthly
                  from the date of termination or expiration, as the case may be
                  In addition, any CEO Options which have vested and remain
                  unexercised prior to the date of

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                  termination of the CEO's employment by the Company pursuant to
                  Section 4.1(b) hereof or upon expiration of the initial or any
                  renewal term of this Agreement or pursuant to written notice
                  by you in accordance with Section 4.1(b) hereof shall remain
                  exercisable and will not terminate until the date which is
                  three years after such termination, expiration or written
                  notice.

            (b)   Termination by the Company for Cause. In the event that your
                  employment shall be terminated by the Company pursuant to
                  Section 4.1(a) hereof (or if you voluntarily resign other than
                  for Good Reason in accordance with Section 4.1(b) hereof prior
                  to the expiration of the then current term of this Agreement),
                  you shall be entitled to no further compensation or other
                  benefits under this Agreement, other than any Base Salary
                  earned by you on or prior to the date of such termination, but
                  not yet paid. In addition, the Company shall reimburse you for
                  any expenses incurred only through the date of such
                  termination Upon termination by the Company of your employment
                  for Cause or termination for reason other than Good Reason by
                  you, all of your rights under this Agreement (except as
                  otherwise set forth herein) shall immediately terminate and
                  the Company shall have no further obligation to you.

            (c)   Termination Upon Death or Disability. In the event that your
                  employment shall be terminated pursuant to Section 4.1(c) or
                  4.1(d) hereof, the Company shall pay you (or your estate or
                  trust or legal representatives) all Base Salary earned, but
                  unpaid, through the remainder of this contract, and shall
                  reimburse you (or your estate or trust or legal
                  representatives) for any expenses incurred through the date of
                  such termination.

      4.3   Nature of Payments. All amounts to be paid by the Company to you
            pursuant to this Agreement (other than Base Salary, benefits, bonus
            or reimbursement of expenses) shall be considered by the parties to
            be severance payments. In the event that such payments shall be
            treated as damages, it is expressly acknowledged by the parties
            hereto that damages to you for termination of employment would be
            difficult to ascertain and the above amounts are reasonable
            estimates thereof and are not a penalty.

      4.4   Release. Notwithstanding the foregoing, as a condition for the
            provision of the compensation and benefits set forth in this Section
            4, you will be required to sign a release of all claims against the
            Company, its officers, agents, employees and the members of the
            Board, on such terms and form provided by the Company, which shall
            be binding on your estate, heirs, assignees, attorneys, agents and
            personal representatives as provided therein.

      4.5   Confidentiality and Non-Competition

            Subject to any provisions of any confidentiality agreement into
            which you and the Company may enter, you agree that you will not,
            during the term of the service on

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            the Board and at any time thereafter, divulge or use, directly or
            indirectly, except in the course of your directorship, any
            Confidential Information (as defined below) or without the prior
            written approval of the Company.

            In addition, you hereby agree that you will not, directly or
            indirectly, as an as an individual proprietor, partner, stockholder,
            officer, employee, director, joint venturer, investor, lender, or in
            any other capacity whatsoever (other than as the holder of not more
            than two percent (2%) of the total outstanding stock of a
            publicly-held company), and in any city, county, state or other
            geographic area where the Company is then marketing or selling its
            products or providing services, engage in the business of
            developing, producing, marketing or selling products or providing
            services of the kind or type reasonably related to the work being
            developed, produced, marketed, sold or provided by the Company.

      4.6   Upon request, to return to the Company any information, documents
            and other property you may have received as a result of your
            directorship; and if the remedy at law for any breach of any of the
            foregoing will be inadequate then the Company, in addition to any
            remedy at law, will be entitled to injunctive and other relief in
            cases of any such breach. The provisions of this Section shall
            survive the termination of the term of this Agreement.

      4.7   As used herein, "Confidential Information" shall mean any and all
            information (oral and written) relating to the Company, including,
            without limitation, all information relating to trade secrets,
            intellectual property, software, technical or non-technical data,
            research and reports, customer information and lists, employee
            information, methods, techniques, financial data, financial plans or
            financial information, lists of actual or potential strategies,
            notes, marketing approaches, sales techniques, analyses, finances,
            business affairs or any other information, which, under all
            circumstances, ought reasonably to be treated as confidential and/or
            proprietary.

      4.8   You will continue to be bound by the terms and conditions of this
            Section for a period of five years after the termination of this
            Agreement, except in the case of the provisions set forth in the
            second paragraph of this Section which shall survive for a period of
            two years after the termination of this Agreement.

5.    Miscellaneous

      5.1   Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in
            accordance with the laws of the State of California without regard
            to principles of conflict of laws.

      5.2   Arbitration. Any controversy or claim based on, arising out of or
            relating to the interpretation and performance of this Agreement or
            any termination hereof shall be solely and finally settled by
            arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association,
            and judgment on the award rendered in the arbitration may be entered
            in any court having jurisdiction thereof. Any such arbitration

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            shall be in the state of California and shall be submitted to a
            single arbitrator appointed by the mutual consent of the parties or,
            in the absence of such consent, by application of any party to the
            American Arbitration Association. A decision of the arbitrator shall
            be final and binding upon the parties, and the arbitrator shall be
            authorized to apportion fees and expenses (including counsel fees
            and expenses), as the arbitrator shall deem appropriate.

      5.3   Entire Agreement; Amendment. This Agreement contains the complete
            understanding and agreement between the parties hereto with respect
            to the subject matter hereof, and supersedes all prior and
            contemporaneous understandings and agreements, written or oral,
            between the parties relating to the subject matter hereof. This
            Agreement may not be amended except in a written document signed by
            you and the Company.

      5.4   Severability. In the event that any provision or portion of this
            Agreement shall be determined to be invalid or unenforceable for any
            reason, in whole or in part, the remaining provisions of this
            Agreement shall be unaffected thereby and shall remain in full force
            and effect to the fullest extent permitted by law and any such
            invalidity or unenforceability shall be deemed replaced by a term or
            provision determined by the parties as coming closest to expressing
            the intention of the invalid or unenforceable term or provision.

      5.5   Notice. Any notice to be given hereunder shall be in writing and
            delivered either in person, by nationally recognized overnight
            courier, or by registered or certified first class mail, postage
            prepaid, addressed to such address of the parties as set forth on
            the first page hereof.

      5.6   Headings. The Section headings in this Agreement are for convenience
            of reference only and shall not affect its interpretation.

      5.7   Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more
            counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of
            which when together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

      5.8   Liability Insurance. Director's and Officer's liability insurance
            and comprehensive general liability insurance shall be provided to
            you by the Company to the same extent that it is provided to the
            other executive officers in the Company.

      5.9   Indemnification. The Company hereby indemnifies and holds you
            harmless against any and all losses, claims, suits, judgments,
            damages, liabilities, costs or expenses, including reasonable legal
            fees and expenses, to which you may become subject in connection
            with the good faith performance of your responsibilities under this
            Agreement. This provision will survive termination of this
            Agreement.

                  [Remainder of page intentionally left blank]

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John, if the foregoing accurately represents your understanding, please sign
below and return it to us.

Warmest regards,

THE IMMUNE RESPONSE CORPORATION.

By: /s/ James B. Glavin
    ----------------------------------

Dated: December 16, 2004

ACCEPTED AND AGREED IN ALL RESPECTS:

/s/ John N. Bonfiglio
--------------------------------------
John N. Bonfiglio, Ph.D.

Dated: December 20, 2004

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