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                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.51

                                                               February 14, 2001

Brian Krause
1984 Encore Court
Ann Arbor, Michigan  48103

Dear Brian,

     On behalf of Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (the "Company"), I am pleased to
offer you a position with the Company. The following is an outline of the terms
of this offer:

1.   The position offered is that of Vice President, in the department of
     Pharmacology.

2.   You shall be paid an initial monthly salary of $11,667.00 plus a bonus of
     up to 20% of base salary. The right to receive a bonus for the first year
     of employment or portion thereof for which the Company pays bonuses is
     dependent on continued employment during that period. The magnitude of the
     bonus, if any, will be determined, based upon achievement of a series of
     mutually agreed upon performance objectives/milestones. A proposed series
     of objectives/milestones will be developed between you and your supervisor.

3.   A benefits package will be provided to you which is equivalent to that
     offered to other similarly situated employees with the Company.

4.   Subject to meeting eligibility requirements, we intend to grant to you an
     option to purchase up to 80,000 shares of the Company's common stock under
     one of the Company's equity compensation plans, subject to the approval of
     our Board of Directors. The option grant will become effective on the date
     of such approval, and will have an exercise price that will be equal to or
     greater than the fair market value of a share of our stock on the date of
     such approval, as determined by the Board of Directors. The terms and
     conditions of the option, along with the period during which the option
     will become exercisable, will be set forth in a Stock Option Agreement that
     you will be required to execute.

5.   You will be required to execute the Company's standard forms of
     Non-Competition, as well as Confidentiality and Assignment Agreement.

     If the terms of this offer are acceptable to you, please so indicate by
executing in the space provided below and fax to 734-622-8333, as well as mail
(an original copy) to the Company. Please respond to this offer within two weeks
from the date hereof. After this date (i.e. after February 28, 2001), this offer
may be withdrawn at the discretion of the Company.

     Welcome to Esperion Therapeutics! We look forward to working with you to
bring new medicines to a world of unmet medical needs.

                                Sincerely,

                                /s/ Tim Mayleben

                                Tim Mayleben
                                Vice President, Finance and Administration & CFO
AGREED AND ACCEPTED:

/s/ Brian R. Krause      2-20-01
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Name                        Date<PAGE>
                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.52

Jean-Louis Dasseux, Ph.D.                                       December 9, 1998
777 Sherwood Hills Dr.
Bloomington, IN 47401

Dear Jean-Louis:

On behalf of Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (hereinafter, "The Company"), I am very
pleased to offer you a position in the Company as Senior Director of Chemistry.
The following represents a series of proposed terms:

     1.  The position is Senior Director of Chemistry.

     2.  Within the first year of employment, consideration will be given as to
         the appropriateness of promotion to Vice-President of Chemistry.

     3.  Cash compensation will consist of a base salary of $140,000 per year
         plus a bonus of up to 20% of the base salary. The magnitude of the
         bonus, if any, will be determined by the Company's Board of Directors,
         based upon achievement of a series of mutually agreed upon performance
         milestones. A proposed series of milestones will be developed between
         you and the CEO.

     4.  A benefits package will be provided to you, which is equivalent to that
         offered to any other member of the senior management team of the
         Company, including health benefits. The details of the benefits package
         will be worked out between you, other members of the management team,
         and the Company's Board of Directors.

     5.  A performance review will be conducted on an annual basis, which will
         include a determination of potential adjustment of base salary, along
         with bonus. Also to be considered by the Board of Directors on an
         annual basis will be the grant of incentive stock options, in
         recognition of your performance for the preceding year.

     6.  You will be granted options to purchase 50,000 shares of the Company's
         common stock, exercisable at a price per share equivalent to the fair
         market value of common stock (i.e. $0.15 per share). These options will
         vest quarterly over a four-year period of time from the date of
         issuance, and be exercisable for 4 years.

     7.  In the event that your employment with the Company is terminated by the
         Company for reasons other than cause, you will be provided a severance
         package of 6 months salary, with continuation of benefits during this
         period, and the Company will provide accelerated vesting such that 25%
         of the aggregate of your as yet unvested options will immediately vest.
         In the event that you become disabled with a catastrophic illness, or
         decease while a full-time employee of the Company, you will receive the
         same continuation of salary and benefits for your family, along with
         accelerated vesting of the 25% of the aggregate of your yet unvested
         options. If you terminate your employment with the Company voluntarily,
         you will forfeit the severance package, as well as any of your unvested
         stock, or stock options. With respect to any vested options, in the
         event that you voluntarily terminate your employment with the Company,
         you will have 90 days to exercise these

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         options, or otherwise they will be forfeited.

     8.  You will be asked to execute a standard confidentiality agreement, as
         well as a standard patent assignment agreement. You will also agree
         that in the event that you sever your relationship with the Company,
         for a period of 12 months, you will not engage in professional activity
         which will be directly competitive with the business of the Company
         (HDL and reverse cholesterol transport drug discovery and development
         to the extent of specific chemical series that you will be working on).
         In the event of involuntary termination for other than cause, your
         non-compete obligation will be waived.

If the terms of this proposal are acceptable, please so indicate by executing on
the line provided below, and fax as well as mail (an original copy) to the
Company. Please respond to this proposal within two weeks from the date of this
offer. After this date (i.e. after 12/23/98), this offer may be withdrawn at the
discretion of the Company. I look forward to working with you.

                                   Sincerely,

                                   /s/ Roger S. Newton

                                   Roger S. Newton
                                   President and CEO

Cc: Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. Board Members, Laura Coruzzi, Esq., and Ann
Gisolfi, Esq.

ACCEPTED AND AGREED TO:

/s/ Jean-Louis Dasseux     December 9, 1998
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Jean-Louis Dasseux, Ph.D.              Date<PAGE>
                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.53

                                                               February 24, 2000

Dear Frank:

     On  behalf of Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (the "Company"), I am pleased to
offer you a position with the Company. The following is an outline of the terms
of this offer:

     1.  The position offered is that of Director of Finance and Controller.

     2.  You shall be paid a monthly salary of $9,000.

     3.  You will be eligible for a bonus of up to 20%. We will provide you an
         advance on your first year's bonus of $10,000 within 2 weeks of your
         start date. The magnitude of the bonus, if any, will be determined by
         the Company's Board of Directors, based upon achievement of a series of
         mutually agreed upon performance milestones. A proposed series of
         milestones will be developed between you and the Vice President,
         Finance & CFO.

     3.  A benefits package will be provided to you which is equivalent to
         that offered to other similarly situated employees with the Company.
         This will include appropriate COBRA coverage for up to 1 year as
         determined between us.

     4.  Subject to meeting eligibility requirements, as incentive you will be
         granted an option to purchase 30,000 shares of the Company's common
         stock. The terms and conditions of this option shall be set forth in a
         Stock Option Agreement you will be required to execute.

     5.  In the event that your employment with the Company is terminated by the
         Company for reasons other than cause, you will be provided a severance
         package of 6 months of salary, with continuation of benefits during
         this period, and the Company will provide accelerated vesting such that
         25% of your as yet unvested stock options will immediately vest. In the
         event that your employment with the Company is terminated due to death
         or "permanent and total disability" (as such term may be defined by the
         Company's insurer) the company will provide accelerated vesting such
         that 25% of your yet unvested stock options will immediately vest. If
         you terminate your employment with the Company voluntarily, you will
         forfeit the severance package, as well as any of your unvested stock
         options. With respect to any vested options, in the event that you
         voluntarily terminate your employment

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         with the company, you will have 90 days to exercise these options, or
         otherwise they will be forfeited.

     6.  You will be required to execute the Company's standard forms of
         Non-Competition, as well as Confidentiality and Assignment Agreement.

     If  the terms of this offer are acceptable to you, please so indicate by
executing in the space provided below and fax, as well as mail (an original
copy) to the Company. Please respond to this offer within one week from the date
hereof. After this date (i.e. after March 2 , 2000), this offer may be withdrawn
at the discretion of the Company.

     Welcome to Esperion Therapeutics! We look forward to working with you to
bring new medicines to a world of unmet medical needs.

                                                   Sincerely,

                                                   /s/ Tim Mayleben

                                                   Tim Mayleben
                                                   Vice President, Finance & CFO

AGREED AND ACCEPTED:

/s/ Frank E. Thomas               2-26-00
-----------------------------------------
Name                                 Date

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