8-K

                                  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): December 10, 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 December 10, 2006, ARIAD Pharmaceuticals,
            Inc. announced that its next product candidate, AP24534 - a novel
            kinase inhibitor discovered by ARIAD scientists - has the potential
            to treat the major clinically relevant genetic variants of chronic
            myeloid leukemia (CML), the clear unmet medical need in this
            hematologic cancer. These preclinical results are being presented
            today at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 48th Annual
            Meeting in Orlando, Florida.

            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 December 10, 2006.




                                   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:    December 11, 2006



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

Exhibit
Number            Description
- ------            -----------
 99.1             Press release dated December 10, 2006.

EX-99.1

                                                                    Exhibit 99.1

    ARIAD Presents Preclinical Efficacy Data on AP24534, a Novel Oral Kinase
                        Inhibitor for Drug-Resistant CML

    ORLANDO, Fla. and CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 10,
2006--ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARIA) today announced that
its next product candidate, AP24534 - a novel kinase inhibitor
discovered by ARIAD scientists - has the potential to treat the major
clinically relevant genetic variants of chronic myeloid leukemia
(CML), the clear unmet medical need in this hematologic cancer. These
preclinical results are being presented today at the American Society
of Hematology (ASH) 48th Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida.

    CML is a slowly progressing cancer in which too many white blood
cells are made in the bone marrow. In most cases, a genetic
abnormality involving the Bcr-Abl protein, a tyrosine kinase encoded
by the Philadelphia chromosome, results in constantly activated growth
of cancer cells. The disease is most commonly treated with a bone
marrow transplant, drug therapy, or a combination of the two - all of
which have clinical limitations.

    The molecularly targeted drugs - imatinib and nilotinib
(Novartis), and dasatinib (Bristol-Myers Squibb) - inhibit the Bcr-Abl
protein and are important therapies for patients with CML; however,
treatment with these drugs results in mutations of the Bcr-Abl gene,
which create substantial drug resistance over time. Dasatinib and
nilotinib are effective against some of the clinically relevant
mutations but have no effect on the T315I mutant, which now is
estimated to account for approximately 25 percent of all drug
resistance in CML - representing a key unmet medical need.

    "AP24534 showed potent inhibition of the Bcr-Abl-T315I mutant and,
in two well-established animal models, demonstrated dose-dependant
tumor shrinkage and increased survival," said Tim Clackson, Ph.D.,
chief scientific officer of ARIAD. "These data support initial
clinical evaluation of AP24534 in the treatment of CML patients who no
longer respond to other targeted therapies, and we are moving forward
with our plans to file an investigational new drug (IND) application
for AP24534 in 2H07 in order to initiate clinical trials for our next
product candidate."

    Data presented today at the ASH meeting demonstrate that AP24534 -
an orally active kinase inhibitor - potently inhibits the T315I mutant
of Bcr-Abl, as well as the major clinically relevant variants of
Bcr-Abl and the naturally occurring, unmutated form of the protein.
Daily oral administration of AP24534 to mice bearing xenografts of
Bcr-Abl-T315I-expressing cells elicited dose-dependent tumor
shrinkage, with complete tumor regression observed at the highest
doses. In a separate model, daily oral administration of AP24534
significantly prolonged the survival of mice injected intravenously
with Bcr-Abl-T315I-expressing cells. These findings support broad
potential applicability of AP24534 in the treatment of CML,
particularly in the refractory forms of CML.

    About ARIAD

    ARIAD is engaged in the discovery and development of breakthrough
medicines to treat cancer by regulating cell signaling with small
molecules. The Company is developing a comprehensive approach to
patients with cancer that addresses the greatest medical need -
aggressive and advanced-stage cancers for which current treatments are
inadequate. Medinol Ltd. also is developing stents and other medical
devices that deliver ARIAD's lead cancer product candidate to prevent
reblockage at sites of vascular injury following stent-assisted
angioplasty. ARIAD has an exclusive license to pioneering technology
and patents related to certain NF-(kappa)B treatment methods, and the
discovery and development of drugs to regulate NF-(kappa)B
cell-signaling activity, which may be useful in treating certain
diseases. Additional information about ARIAD can be found on the web
at http://www.ariad.com.

    Some of the matters discussed herein are "forward-looking
statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are identified by the use of words
such as "may", "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project,"
"intend," "plan," "believe," and other words and terms of similar
meaning in connection with any discussion of future operating or
financial performance. Such statements are based on management's
expectations and are subject to certain factors, risks and
uncertainties that may cause actual results, outcome of events, timing
and performance to differ materially from those expressed or implied
by such forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not
limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding our ability to
accurately estimate the timing and actual R&D expenses and other costs
associated with the preclinical and clinical development and
manufacture of our product candidates, including our product candidate
referred to in this press release, the adequacy of our capital
resources and the availability of additional funding, risks and
uncertainties regarding our ability to manufacture or have
manufactured our product candidates on a commercial scale, risks and
uncertainties regarding our ability to successfully recruit centers,
enroll patients and conduct clinical studies of product candidates,
risks and uncertainties that clinical trial results at any phase of
development, may be adverse or may not be predictive of future results
or lead to regulatory approval of any of our or any partner's product
candidates, risks and uncertainties of third-party intellectual
property claims relating to our and any partner's product candidates,
risks and uncertainties related to the potential acquisition of or
other strategic transaction regarding the minority stockholders'
interests in our 80%-owned subsidiary, ARIAD Gene Therapeutics, Inc.,
and risks and uncertainties relating to regulatory oversight, the
timing, scope, cost and outcome of legal and patent office
proceedings, litigation, prosecution and re-examination proceedings
concerning our NF-(kappa)B patent portfolio, future capital needs, key
employees, dependence on collaborators and manufacturers, markets,
economic conditions, products, services, prices, reimbursement rates,
competition and other factors detailed in the Company's public filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including ARIAD's
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2006,
as updated from time to time in our subsequent periodic and current
reports filed with the SEC. The information contained in this document
is believed to be current as of the date of original issue. The
Company does not intend to update any of the forward-looking
statements after the date of this document to conform these statements
to actual results or to changes in the Company's expectations, except
as required by law.

    CONTACT: Edward Fitzgerald (Investors)
             617-621-2345
             or
             Adriana Jenkins (Media)
             Pure Communications
             617-744-1713