ARYX THERAPEUTICS, INC. 2007 NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS’ STOCK OPTION PLAN OPTION AGREEMENT (NONSTATUTORY STOCK OPTION)

Exhibit 10.8

ARYX THERAPEUTICS, INC.
2007 NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS’ STOCK OPTION PLAN

OPTION AGREEMENT
(NONSTATUTORY STOCK OPTION)

Pursuant to your Option Grant Notice (“Grant Notice”) and this Option Agreement, ARYx Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) has granted you an option under its 2007 Non-Employee Directors’ Stock Option Plan (the “Plan”) to purchase the number of shares of the Company’s Common Stock indicated in your Grant Notice at the exercise price indicated in your Grant Notice. Defined terms not explicitly defined in this Option Agreement but defined in the Plan shall have the same definitions as in the Plan.

The details of your option are as follows:

1.             VESTING. Subject to the limitations contained herein, your option will vest as provided in your Grant Notice, provided that vesting will cease upon the termination of your Continuous Service.

2.             NUMBER OF SHARES AND EXERCISE PRICE. The number of shares of Common Stock subject to your option and your exercise price per share referenced in your Grant Notice may be adjusted from time to time for Capitalization Adjustments.

3.             METHOD OF PAYMENT. Payment of the exercise price is due in full upon exercise of all or any part of your option. You may elect to make payment of the exercise price in cash or by check or in any other manner permitted by your Grant Notice, which may include one or more of the following:

(a)           Provided that at the time of exercise the Common Stock is publicly traded and quoted regularly in The Wall Street Journal, pursuant to a program developed under Regulation T as promulgated by the Federal Reserve Board that, prior to the issuance of Common Stock, results in either the receipt of cash (or check) by the Company or the receipt of irrevocable instructions to pay the aggregate exercise price to the Company from the sales proceeds.

(b)           Provided that at the time of exercise the Common Stock is publicly traded and quoted regularly in The Wall Street Journal, by delivery to the Company (either by actual delivery or attestation) of already-owned shares of Common Stock that are owned free and clear of any liens, claims, encumbrances or security interests, and that are valued at Fair Market Value on the date of exercise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you may not exercise your option by tender to the Company of Common Stock to the extent such tender would violate the provisions of any law, regulation or agreement restricting the redemption of the Company’s stock.

4.             WHOLE SHARES. You may exercise your option only for whole shares of Common Stock.

5.             SECURITIES LAW COMPLIANCE. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, you may not exercise your option unless the shares of Common Stock issuable upon such exercise are then registered under the Securities Act or, if such shares of Common Stock are not then so registered, the Company has determined that such exercise and issuance would be exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The exercise of your option must also comply with other applicable laws and regulations governing your option, and you may not exercise your option if the Company determines that such exercise would not be in material compliance with such laws and regulations.

6.             TERM. You may not exercise your option before the commencement or after the expiration of its term. The term of your option commences on the Date of Grant and expires upon the earliest of the following:

(a)           three (3) months after the termination of your Continuous Service for any reason other than your Disability or death or upon a Change in Control, provided that if during any part of such three (3)-month period your option is not exercisable solely because of the condition set forth in Section 5, your option shall not expire until the earlier of the Expiration Date or until it shall have been exercisable for an aggregate period of three (3) months after the termination of your Continuous Service;

(b)           twelve (12) months after the termination of your Continuous Service due to your Disability;

(c)           eighteen (18) months after your death if you die either during your Continuous Service or within three (3) months after your Continuous Service terminates;

(d)           twelve (12) months after the effective date of a Change in Control if termination occurs as of, or within twelve (12) months following the effective date of such a Change in Control;

(e)           the Expiration Date indicated in your Grant Notice; or

(f)            the day before the tenth (10th) anniversary of the Date of Grant.

7.             EXERCISE.

(a)           You may exercise the vested portion of your option (and the unvested portion of your option if your Grant Notice so permits) during its term by delivering a Notice of Exercise (in a form designated by the Company) together with the exercise price to the Secretary of the Company, or to such other person as the Company may designate, during regular business hours, together with such additional documents as the Company may then require.

(b)           By exercising your option you agree that, as a condition to any exercise of your option, the Company may require you to enter into an arrangement providing for the payment by you to the Company of any tax withholding obligation of the Company arising by reason of (1) the exercise of your option, (2) the lapse of any substantial risk of forfeiture to which the shares of Common Stock are subject at the time of exercise, or (3) the disposition of shares of Common Stock acquired upon such exercise.

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8.             TRANSFERABILITY. Your option is transferable only by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and is exercisable only by you during your lifetime. However, you may transfer your option for no consideration upon written consent of the Board (i) if, at the time of transfer, a Form S-8 registration statement under the Securities Act is available for the issuance of shares by the Company upon the exercise of such transferred option, or (ii) the transfer is to your employer at the time of transfer or an affiliate of your employer at the time of transfer. Any such transfer is subject to such limits as the Board may establish, and subject to the transferee agreeing to remain subject to all the terms and conditions applicable to your option prior to such transfer. The forgoing right to transfer your option shall apply to the right to consent to amendments to the Option Agreement for such option. In addition, until you transfers the option, you may, by delivering written notice to the Company, in a form provided by or otherwise satisfactory to the Company, designate a third party who, in the event of your death, shall thereafter be entitled to exercise your option.

9.             CHANGE IN CONTROL.

(a)           In the event that you are required to resign your position as a Non-Employee Director as a condition of a Change in Control or you are removed from your position as a Non-Employee Director in connection with a Change in Control, your option shall become fully vested and exercisable immediately prior to the effectiveness of such resignation or removal (and contingent upon the effectiveness of such Change in Control).

(b)           If any payment or benefit you would receive in connection with a Change in Control from the Company or otherwise (“Payment”) would (i) constitute a “parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, and (ii) but for this sentence, be subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code (the “Excise Tax”), then the Company shall cause to be determined, before any amounts of the Payment are paid to you, which of the following two alternative forms of payment would maximize your after-tax proceeds: (i) payment in full of the entire amount of the Payment (a “Full Payment”), or (ii) payment of only a part of the Payment so that you receive the largest payment possible without the imposition of the Excise Tax (a “Reduced Payment”), whichever amount results in your receipt, on an after-tax basis, of the greater amount of the Payment notwithstanding that all or some portion of the Payment may be subject to the Excise Tax. For purposes of determining whether to make a Full Payment or a Reduced Payment, the Company shall cause to be taken into account all applicable federal, state and local income and employment taxes and the Excise Tax (all computed at the highest applicable marginal rate, net of the maximum reduction in federal income taxes which could be obtained from a deduction of such state and local taxes).

(c)           If a Reduced Payment is made, (i) the Payment shall be paid only to the extent permitted under the Reduced Payment alternative, and you shall have no rights to any additional payments and/or benefits constituting the Payment, and (ii) reduction in payments and/or benefits shall occur in the following order unless you elect in writing a different order (provided, however, that such election shall be subject to Company approval if made on or after the date on which the event that triggers the Payment occurs): (1) reduction of cash payments; (2) cancellation of accelerated vesting of equity awards other than stock options; (3) cancellation of accelerated vesting of stock options; and (4) reduction of other benefits paid to you. In the event that acceleration of compensation from your equity awards is to be reduced, such

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acceleration of vesting shall be canceled in the reverse order of the date of grant (i.e., earliest granted Stock Award cancelled last) unless you elect in writing a different order for cancellation.

(d)           The accounting firm engaged by the Company for general tax purposes as of the day prior to the effective date of the Change in Control shall perform the foregoing calculations. If the accounting firm so engaged by the Company is serving as accountant or auditor for the individual, entity or group effecting the Change in Control, the Company shall appoint a nationally recognized accounting firm to make the determinations required hereunder. The Company shall bear all expenses with respect to the determinations by such accounting firm required to be made hereunder.

(e)           The accounting firm engaged to make the determinations hereunder shall provide its calculations, together with detailed supporting documentation, to you and the Company within fifteen (15) calendar days after the date on which your right to a Payment is triggered (if requested at that time by you or the Company) or such other time as requested by you or the Company. If the accounting firm determines that no Excise Tax is payable with respect to a Payment, either before or after the application of the Reduced Amount, it shall furnish you and the Company with an opinion reasonably acceptable to you that no Excise Tax will be imposed with respect to such Payment. Any good faith determinations of the accounting firm made hereunder shall be final, binding and conclusive upon you and the Company.

10.          OPTION NOT A SERVICE CONTRACT. Your option is not an employment or service contract, and nothing in your option shall be deemed to create in any way whatsoever any obligation on your part to continue in the employ of the Company or an Affiliate, or of the Company or an Affiliate to continue your employment. In addition, nothing in your option shall obligate the Company or an Affiliate, their respective stockholders, Boards of Directors, Officers or Employees to continue any relationship that you might have as a Director or Consultant for the Company or an Affiliate.

11.          WITHHOLDING OBLIGATIONS.

(a)           At the time you exercise your option, in whole or in part, or at any time thereafter as requested by the Company, you hereby authorize withholding from payroll and any other amounts payable to you, and otherwise agree to make adequate provision for (including by means of a “cashless exercise” pursuant to a program developed under Regulation T as promulgated by the Federal Reserve Board to the extent permitted by the Company), any sums required to satisfy the federal, state, local and foreign tax withholding obligations of the Company or an Affiliate, if any, which arise in connection with the exercise of your option.

(b)           Upon your request and subject to approval by the Company, in its sole discretion, and compliance with any applicable legal conditions or restrictions, the Company may withhold from fully vested shares of Common Stock otherwise issuable to you upon the exercise of your option a number of whole shares of Common Stock having a Fair Market Value, determined by the Company as of the date of exercise, not in excess of the minimum amount of tax required to be withheld by law (or such lower amount as may be necessary to avoid classification of your option as a liability for financial accounting purposes). Any adverse consequences to you arising in connection with such share withholding procedure shall be your

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sole responsibility. If the date of determination of any tax withholding obligation is deferred to a date later than the date of exercise of your option, share withholding pursuant to the preceding sentence shall not be permitted unless you make a proper and timely election under Section 83(b) of the Code, covering the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock acquired upon such exercise with respect to which such determination is otherwise deferred, to accelerate the determination of such tax withholding obligation to the date of exercise of your option. Notwithstanding the filing of such election, shares of Common Stock shall be withheld solely from fully vested shares of Common Stock determined as of the date of exercise of your option that are otherwise issuable to you upon such exercise. Any adverse consequences to you arising in connection with such share withholding procedure shall be your sole responsibility.

(c)           You may not exercise your option unless the tax withholding obligations of the Company and/or any Affiliate are satisfied. Accordingly, you may not be able to exercise your option when desired even though your option is vested, and the Company shall have no obligation to issue a certificate for such shares of Common Stock or release such shares of Common Stock from any escrow provided for herein unless such obligations are satisfied.

12.          NOTICES. Any notices provided for in your option or the Plan shall be given in writing and shall be deemed effectively given upon receipt or, in the case of notices delivered by mail by the Company to you, five (5) days after deposit in the United States mail, postage prepaid, addressed to you at the last address you provided to the Company.

13.          GOVERNING PLAN DOCUMENT. Your option is subject to all the provisions of the Plan, the provisions of which are hereby made a part of your option, and is further subject to all interpretations, amendments, rules and regulations, which may from time to time be promulgated and adopted pursuant to the Plan. In the event of any conflict between the provisions of your option and those of the Plan, the provisions of the Plan shall control.

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ARYX THERAPEUTICS, INC.

2007 NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS’ STOCK OPTION PLAN

OPTION GRANT NOTICE

([IPO] [INITIAL] [ANNUAL] GRANT)

ARYx Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”), pursuant to its 2007 Non-Employee Directors’ Stock Option Plan (the “Plan”), hereby grants to Optionholder an option to purchase the number of shares of the Company’s Common Stock set forth below. This option is subject to all of the terms and conditions as set forth herein and in the Option Agreement, the Plan, and the Notice of Exercise, all of which are attached hereto and incorporated herein in their entirety.

Additional Terms/Acknowledgements: The undersigned Optionholder acknowledges receipt of, and understands and agrees to, this Option Grant Notice, the Option Agreement, and the Plan. Optionholder further acknowledges that as of the Date of Grant, this Option Grant Notice, the Option Agreement, and the Plan set forth the entire understanding between Optionholder and the Company regarding the acquisition of stock in the Company and supersede all prior oral and written agreements on that subject with the exception of (i) options previously granted and delivered to Optionholder under the Plan, and (ii) the following agreements only:

OTHER AGREEMENTS:

ATTACHMENTS:  Option Agreement, 2007 Non-Employee Directors’ Stock Option Plan, and Notice of Exercise

ATTACHMENT I

OPTION AGREEMENT

ATTACHMENT II

2007 NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS’ STOCK OPTION PLAN

ATTACHMENT III

NOTICE OF EXERCISE

NOTICE OF EXERCISE

ARYx Therapeutics, Inc.

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Ladies and Gentlemen:

This constitutes notice under my stock option that I elect to purchase the number of shares for the price set forth below.

By this exercise, I agree (i) to provide such additional documents as you may require pursuant to the terms of the ARYx Therapeutics, Inc. 2007 Non-Employee Directors’ Stock Option Plan, and (ii) to provide for the payment by me to you (in the manner designated by you) of your withholding obligation, if any, relating to the exercise of this option.

(1)           Shares must meet the public trading requirements set forth in the option.  Shares must be valued on the date of exercise in accordance with the terms of the Plan and the option being exercised, and must be owned free and clear of any liens, claims, encumbrances or security interests.  Certificates must be endorsed or accompanied by an executed assignment separate from certificate.