UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

       Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): November 2, 2004

                           ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



        Delaware                      0-21696                22-3106987
(State or other jurisdiction        (Commission           (I.R.S. Employer
     of incorporation)              File Number)         Identification No.)


              26 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (617) 494-0400

                                 Not Applicable
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

|_|  Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17
     CFR 230.425)

|_|  Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
     240.14a-12)

|_|  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

|_|  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))


ITEM 5.02 Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election of Directors;
          Appointment of Principal Officers.

     (d)  On November 1, 2004, Peter J. Nelson was appointed to the Board of
          Directors of ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. There are no arrangements
          between Mr. Nelson and any other persons pursuant to which Mr. Nelson
          was selected as a director, nor are there any transactions to which
          ARIAD is a party and in which Mr. Nelson had a material interest that
          are required to be disclosed under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K. Mr.
          Nelson will chair the audit committee. A copy of the press release
          announcing Mr. Nelson's appointment is filed herewith as Exhibit 99.1.




ITEM 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

     (c)  The following exhibits are filed with this report



Exhibit
Number         Description
------         -----------
99.1           Press release dated November 2, 2004.



                                   SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                         ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc.





                         By:   /s/ Edward M. Fitzgerald
                               -------------------------------------------------
                               Edward M. Fitzgerald
                               Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Date: November 2, 2004


                                  EXHIBIT INDEX
                                  -------------

Exhibit
Number          Description
------          -----------
99.1            Press release dated November 2, 2004.