EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

AGREEMENT, dated as of April 30, 2003, between Transkaryotic Therapies, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), and Michael J. Astrue (the Executive).

1.               EMPLOYMENT.  The Company hereby employs the Executive and the Executive hereby accepts employment with the Company upon the terms and conditions herein set forth.

2.               DUTIES.  The Executive shall be engaged as a full-time employee to act as the Companys President and Chief Executive Officer, and shall report to the Companys Board of Directors (the Board).  The Executive shall perform the duties consistent with such positions as the Board shall from time to time reasonably provide.  The Executive shall devote his entire time, attention and energies to the business of the Company and shall not engage in any other business activity or activities, whether or not such business activity is pursued for gain, profit or other pecuniary advantage that, in the judgment of the Board, may conflict with the proper performance of the Executives duties under this Agreement.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, (a) with respect to businesses which do not compete with the Company, the Executive may invest his personal or family assets in such form or manner as will not require any services on the part of the Executive in the operation of the affairs of the companies in which such investments are made and in which his participation is solely that of an investor, and (b) the Executive may purchase securities in any corporation whose securities are regularly traded in recognized securities markets, provided that such investments shall not result in his collectively owning beneficially at any time one percent (1%) or more of the equity securities of any corporation engaged in a business competitive to that of the Company.

3.               COMPENSATION.

(a)  BASE SALARY.  For services rendered under this Agreement, the Company shall pay the Executive an annual salary of $400,000 (the Base Salary), payable (after deduction of applicable withholding for Federal and state income and payroll taxes) in equal semi-monthly installments.  As requested by the Executive, the Company shall not pay the Executive, and the Executive shall forego, any compensation under this Section 3(a) until the ninetieth (90^th) day following the Commencement Date (as defined below), except to the extent that such compensation or a portion of such compensation is required to be paid by law.  Notwithstanding the previous sentence, for all other purposes of this Agreement, the Executive shall be treated, and the benefits provided to the Executive shall be determined, as if the Executive was not foregoing any compensation under this Section 3(a).  The Compensation Committee of the Board (the Committee) may review the Executives compensation annually and make such increases to the Base Salary as the Committee determines are merited, based upon the Executives performance and consistent with the Companys compensation policies as established by the Committee.  Any such increase in annual Base Salary shall be communicated to the Executive shortly after the January meeting of the Board of Directors and shall be made effective on the first day of January each year.  The Executives Base Salary may not be reduced to an amount that is less than $400,000 without the written consent of the Executive.

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