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Exhibit 10.2

April 7, 2015

Gerald E. Quirk

20 Scotts Wood Drive

Sudbury, MA 01776

Dear Gerald:

It is my great pleasure to offer you the position of General Counsel and Executive Vice President of Business Operations for Tokai Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”). On behalf of the Company, I set forth below the terms of your employment:

The Option Agreement will provide that the Option will vest over a four year period, with the first twelve and a half percent (12.5%) of the Option vesting upon the date six months from the date of your commencement of employment and the balance of the Option vesting on a monthly basis on the last day of the month in 42 equal monthly installments thereafter, subject to your continued employment with the Company through each vesting date.

The Option Agreement will also provide that notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that a Change in Control Event (as defined below) occurs or a definitive agreement that results in a Change of Control Event is entered into prior to November 25, 2015, then immediately prior to the Change in Control Event, the Option with respect to 50% of the underlying shares originally covered by the Option (subject to appropriate adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends, recapitalizations and similar events affecting the Common Stock) will terminate and be of no further force or effect, and the balance of the Option shall continue in force or effect as if it had originally been granted for a number of shares equal to 50% of the underlying shares originally covered by the Option (subject to appropriate adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends, recapitalizations and similar events affecting the Common Stock).

You may also be eligible for other grants of stock or stock options as determined by and in the sole discretion of the Board. Nothing in this section shall affect your status as an employee at will, as set for below.

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b. Severance Benefits in Connection with Termination Upon or Within One Year Following a Change in Control Event. Subject to Section 12(c), if, upon or during the 12 month period commencing upon a Change in Control Event (as defined below), your employment with the Company or the acquiring or succeeding company is terminated by the Company or the acquiring or succeeding company without Cause or, upon or during the 12 month period commencing upon the Change in Control Event, you terminate your employment with the Company or the acquiring or succeeding company for Good Reason, then, in lieu of the severance and other benefits provided for in Section 12(a), to the extent applicable, (i) you will receive as severance pay (x) an amount equal to 12 months of your then-current base salary (subject to all applicable federal, state and local taxes and withholdings and payable over an 12-month period in accordance with the Company’s regular payroll practices) and (y) an amount equal to 100% of your then-current annual target bonus (subject to all applicable federal, state and local taxes and withholdings and payable in a lump sum), (ii) provided that you are eligible for and elect COBRA coverage, the Company will pay the amount of premiums it pays for active employees with similar coverage for you and your covered beneficiaries but not more each month than the monthly amount it was paying for your coverage when your employment ended until the earlier of 12 months after your employment ends or the date you (or, as applicable, your beneficiaries) become eligible for coverage at a new employer, provided that if the Company’s paying such premiums violates nondiscrimination laws, the payments will cease, and (iii) notwithstanding the terms of any stock option agreement, restricted stock agreement, restricted stock unit agreement or other stock award (“Equity Awards”), the vesting of all Equity Awards held by you on the date of termination shall be automatically accelerated, effective as of the date of termination, such that such Equity Awards shall become 100% fully vested.

c. Conditions of Severance Benefits. You will not receive your severance pay or the other benefits set forth in Sections 12(a) and (b) of this letter unless (i) you are in full compliance with the Non-Competition Agreement described in Section 8 and (ii), within 60 days following your last day of employment (or such lesser period as is then required by the Severance Agreement), you timely execute and return a severance and release of claims agreement provided by the Company (the “Severance Agreement”) and, if applicable, allow it to become effective by not revoking your acceptance (the “Severance Conditions”). Upon the satisfaction of the Severance Conditions, your receipt of severance pay and other benefits shall commence (or in the case of any lump sum payment, shall paid and, in the case of any Equity Awards, shall vest) on the Company’s first payroll date following the eighth day after you execute the Severance Agreement (provided that if the 60 day period described above ends in a

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calendar year subsequent to the year in which you are terminated, payment will not begin before the first business day of that subsequent year), and shall continue for the periods described in Sections 12(a) and (b), as applicable. Any severance pay or other benefits payable under this Section 12 will be subject to the terms and conditions set forth in Exhibit A.

d. Definitions. For the purposes of this Section 12:

(a) the acquisition by an individual, entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) (a “Person”) of beneficial ownership of any capital stock of the Company if, after such acquisition, such Person beneficially owns (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) 50% or more of the combined voting power of the then-outstanding securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (the “Outstanding Company Voting Securities”); provided, however, that for purposes of this subsection (a), the following acquisitions shall not constitute a Change in Control Event: (x) any acquisition directly from the Company (excluding an acquisition pursuant to the exercise, conversion or exchange of any security exercisable for, convertible into or exchangeable for common stock or voting securities of the Company, unless the Person exercising, converting or exchanging such security acquired such security directly from the Company or an underwriter or agent of the Company), or (y) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or any corporation controlled by the Company; or

(b) the consummation of a merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization or statutory share exchange involving the Company or a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all

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of the assets of the Company (a “Business Combination”), unless, immediately following such Business Combination all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the beneficial owners of the Outstanding Company Voting Securities immediately prior to such Business Combination beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the combined voting power of the then-outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, respectively, of the resulting or acquiring corporation in such Business Combination (which shall include, without limitation, a corporation which as a result of such transaction owns the Company or substantially all of the Company’s assets either directly or through one or more subsidiaries) in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of the Outstanding Company Voting Securities immediately prior to such Business Combination: provided that, where required to avoid additional taxation under Section 409A, the event that occurs must also be a “change in the ownership or effective control of a corporation, or a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of a corporation” as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5).

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If this letter correctly sets forth the terms under which you will be employed by the Company, please sign the enclosed duplicate of this letter in the space provided below and return it to me, along with a signed copy of the Non-Competition Agreement. If you do not accept this offer by “10 days from acceptance”, the offer will be deemed withdrawn.

The foregoing correctly sets forth the terms of my at-will employment with Tokai Pharmaceuticals, Inc. I am not relying on any representations other than those set forth above.

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Exhibit A

Payments Subject to Section 409A

1. Subject to this Exhibit A, payments or benefits under Section 12(a) of the offer letter shall begin only following the date of your “separation from service” (determined as set forth below) which occurs on or after the termination of your employment. The following rules shall apply with respect to distribution of the payments and benefits, if any, to be provided to you under Section 12(a) of the offer letter, as applicable:

(a) It is intended that each installment of the payments and benefits provided under Section 12(a) of the offer letter shall be treated as a separate “payment” for purposes of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and the guidance issued thereunder (“Section 409A”). Neither the Company nor you shall have the right to accelerate or defer the delivery of any such payments or benefits except to the extent specifically permitted or required by Section 409A.

(b) If, as of the date of your “separation from service” from the Company, you are not a “specified employee” (within the meaning of Section 409A), then each installment of the payments and benefits shall be made on the dates and terms set forth in Section 12(a) of the offer letter.

(c) If, as of the date of your “separation from service” from the Company, you are a “specified employee” (within the meaning of Section 409A), then:

(i) Each installment of the payments and benefits due under Section 12(a) of the offer letter that, in accordance with the dates and terms set forth herein, will in all circumstances, regardless of when your separation from service occurs, be paid within the Short-Term Deferral Period (as hereinafter defined) shall be treated as a short-term deferral within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(4) to the maximum extent permissible under Section 409A. For purposes of the offer letter, the “Short-Term Deferral Period” means the period ending on the later of the 15^th day of the third month following the end of your tax year in which the separation from service occurs and the 15^th day of the third month following the end of the Company’s tax year in which the separation from service occurs; and

(ii) Each installment of the payments and benefits due under Section 12(a) of the offer letter that is not described in this Exhibit A, Section 1(c)(i) and that would, absent this subsection, be paid within the six-month period following your “separation from service” from the Company shall not be paid until the date that is six months and one day after such separation from service (or, if earlier, your death), with any such installments that are required to be delayed being accumulated during the six-month period and paid in a lump sum on the date that is six months and one day following your separation from service and any subsequent installments, if any, being paid in accordance with the dates and terms

set forth herein; provided, however, that the preceding provisions of this sentence shall not apply to any installment of payments and benefits if and to the maximum extent that that such installment is deemed to be paid under a separation pay plan that does not provide for a deferral of compensation by reason of the application of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii) (relating to separation pay upon an involuntary separation from service). Any installments that qualify for the exception under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii) must be paid no later than the last day of your second taxable year following the taxable year in which the separation from service occurs.

2. The determination of whether and when your separation from service from the Company has occurred shall be made and in a manner consistent with, and based on the presumptions set forth in, Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h). Solely for purposes of this Exhibit A, Section 2, “Company” shall include all persons with whom the Company would be considered a single employer under Section 414(b) and 414(c) of the Code.

3. All reimbursements and in-kind benefits provided under the offer letter shall be made or provided in accordance with the requirements of Section 409A to the extent that such reimbursements or in-kind benefits are subject to Section 409A.

4. The Company makes no representation or warranty and shall have no liability to you or to any other person if any of the provisions of the offer letter (including this Exhibit) are determined to constitute deferred compensation subject to Section 409A but that do not satisfy an exemption from, or the conditions of, that section.

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