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): June 5, 2006


                           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 8.01       Other Events.

          In a press release dated June 5, 2006, ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
          announced that AP23573 - its novel mTOR inhibitor - demonstrated
          efficacy and was well tolerated as a single agent in a multi-center
          Phase 2 trial in metastatic and/or unresectable soft-tissue and bone
          sarcomas involving 212 patients, at least 90% of whom had progressive
          disease. In addition, the Company announced that it plans to conduct a
          randomized, worldwide Phase 3 clinical trial of oral AP23573 in
          patients with advanced sarcomas.

          A copy of the press release is filed herewith as Exhibit 99.1 and the
          information contained therein is incorporated by reference into this
          Item 8.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K.


ITEM 9.01       Financial Statements and Exhibits.

          (c)   The following exhibits are filed with this report

                Exhibit
                Number          Description
                -------         -----------
                99.1            Press release dated June 5, 2006.









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                                   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, Finance and Corporate
                                    Operations, Chief Financial Officer

Date: June 5, 2006










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                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number          Description
-------         -----------
 99.1           Press release dated June 5, 2006.

















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