POWER OF ATTORNEY



Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints
Harvey J. Berger,  M.D., Laurie A. Allen, Esq. and Edward M. Fitzgerald of ARIAD
Pharmaceuticals,  Inc. (the  "Company"),  and Jonathan  Kravitz,  Esq. and Brian
Keane, Esq. of Mintz, Levin,  Ferris,  Glovsky, and Popeo, P.C., signing singly,
with  full   power  of   substitution,   the   undersigned's   true  and  lawful
attorney-in-fact to:

     (1)  execute  for and on behalf of the  undersigned,  in the  undersigned's
capacity as an Officer,  Director,  and/or 10% stockholder of the Company, Forms
3, 4 and 5 in accordance  with Section 16(a) of the  Securities  Exchange Act of
1934 and the rules thereunder;

     (2) do and  perform  any and all acts for and on behalf of the  undersigned
which may be  necessary  or desirable to complete and execute any such Form 3, 4
or 5 and timely file such form with the United  States  Securities  and Exchange
Commission and any stock exchange or similar authority; and

     (3) take any other action of any type  whatsoever  in  connection  with the
foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact,  may be of benefit to,
in the best  interests  of, or legally  required  by the  undersigned,  it being
understood that the documents executed by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the
undersigned  pursuant to this Power of Attorney  shall be in such form and shall
contain such terms and conditions as such  attorney-in-fact  may approve in such
attorney-in-fact's discretion.

The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power and
authority to do and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever requisite,
necessary, or proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights and powers
herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or
could do if personally present, with full power of substitution or revocation,
hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact, or such
attorney-in-fact's substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be
done by virtue of this power of attorney and the rights and powers herein
granted. The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing attorneys-in-fact, in
serving in such capacity at the request of the undersigned, are not assuming,
nor is the Company assuming, any of the undersigned's responsibilities to comply
with Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

This Power of Attorney hereby supersedes and supplants any and all Power of
Attorney(s) heretofore executed by the undersigned (collectively, "Former Power
of Attorney"), which Former Power of Attorney is hereby revoked as of the date
set forth below, and of no further legal force and effect.

This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the
undersigned is no longer required to file Forms 3, 4 and 5 with respect to the
undersigned's holdings of and transactions in securities issued by the Company,
unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing delivered to the
foregoing attorneys-in-fact.



IN WITNESS THEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to be
executed this 22nd day of September 2003.


                                        /s/Paul J. Sekhri
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                                        Signature


                                        Paul J. Sekhri
                                        ----------------------------------------
                                        Name