ARCA biopharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABIO) Files An 8-K Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers

Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election
of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory
Arrangements of Certain Officers.

(d)

On February 16, 2017, the Board of Directors (the Board) of ARCA
biopharma, Inc. (the Company) elected Anders Hove, M.D., as a
director of the Company. Dr. Hove was elected for a term expiring
at the Companys 2019 annual stockholders meeting. Dr. Hove was
also appointed to serve on the Boards Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee. A copy of the press release announcing Dr.
Hoves appointment is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.

Dr. Hove was most recently a general partner of Venrock
Associates (Venrock), a venture capital firm, which he joined in
January 2004. In 2008, Dr. Hove was a founder of Venrock
Healthcare Capital Partners, Venrocks public fund focused on
small capitalization biotech companies and late-stage private
companies. From 1996 to 2004, he was a fund manager at BB Biotech
Fund, an investment firm, and from 2002 to 2003 he also served as
Chief Executive Officer of Bellevue Asset Management, LLC, an
investment company. Dr. Hove previously held senior level
positions in the medical, clinical and business operations of the
pharmaceuticals division of Ciba-Geigy.He has served on the
Boards of Directors of numerous private and public companies,
currently serving on the Boards of two private biopharmaceutical
companies. Dr. Hove received a M.Sc. in Biotechnology Engineering
from the Technical University of Denmark, an M.D. from the
University of Copenhagen and an M.B.A. from the Institut Europen
d’Administration des Affaires.

On February 16, 2017, the Company also granted Dr. Anders Hove an
option to purchase 10,000 shares of common stock at an exercise
price of $2.50 per share, the closing price of the Companys
common stock on The NASDAQ Capital Market on February 16,
2017.The option is subject to the terms and conditions of the
Companys amended and restated 2013 Equity Incentive Plan (the
Plan) and the Companys standard forms of Stock Option Agreement
and Option Grant Notice under the Plan.The option vests in 12
equal monthly installments beginning on February 16, 2017,
assuming Dr. Hoves continued service on the Board for such
periods.

(e)

On February 16, 2017, the Board also approved cash bonuses for
each of the Companys named executive officers (as defined in Item
402(a)(3) of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended), in the amounts set forth
below, payable in the first quarter of 2017.The Board also
approved the base salaries for the Companys named executive
officers in each case as set forth below.

The Board determined the cash bonuses are to be paid in
recognition of the efforts of each of the executives during the
prior year.The new base salaries will become effective on
February 27, 2017.

On February 16, 2017, the Compensation Committee of the Board of
the Company approved the following stock option (Options) grants
to the executive officers listed below to the Companys Amended
and Restated 2013 Equity Incentive Plan approved at the 2016
Annual Meeting of Stockholders and the forms of Stock Option
Grant Notice and Option Agreement for officers, as filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission as exhibits to the Companys
Current Report on Form 8-K on September 23, 2013:

On the same day, the Company also approved paying compensation to
its existing non-employee directors by granting to Dr. Linda
Grais, Mr. Robert Conway, Mr. Daniel Mitchell and Dr. Raymond
Woosley options to purchase 8,000 shares of common stock at an
exercise price of $2.50 per share, the closing price of the
Companys common stock on February 16, 2017.The options are
subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and the Companys
standard forms of Stock Option Agreement and Option Grant Notice
for the Plan.The options vest in equal monthly installments and
will be fully vested as of December 31, 2017, assuming Dr. Grais,
Mr. Conways, Mr. Mitchells and Dr. Woosleys continued service on
the Board for such periods.

Section 9 Financial Statements and Exhibits

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.

About ARCA biopharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABIO)

ARCA biopharma, Inc. (ARCA) is a biopharmaceutical company. The Company is principally focused on developing genetically-targeted therapies for cardiovascular diseases. The Company’s lead product candidate is Gencaro (bucindolol hydrochloride), a beta-blocker and mild vasodilator that the Company is evaluating in a clinical trial for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HFREF). Gencaro is considered part of the beta-blocker class of compounds because of its property of blocking both beta-1 and beta-2, receptors in the heart. The blocking of these receptors prevents the receptor from binding with other molecules, primarily the neurotransmitter norepinephrine (NE), which activate these receptors. The Company is conducting a Phase IIB/III clinical trial of Gencaro, known as GENETIC-AF.

ARCA biopharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABIO) Recent Trading Information

ARCA biopharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABIO) closed its last trading session up +0.05 at 2.60 with 40,152 shares trading hands.