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): July 27, 2009

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	0-21696	22-3106987
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(I.R.S. Employer 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.

On July 27, 2009, ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”) issued a press release announcing preliminary clinical data from an ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial of its investigational, multi-targeted kinase inhibitor, AP24534, in patients with advanced hematological cancers.  The study results provide initial clinical evidence of hematologic, cytogenetic and molecular anti-cancer activity of AP24534 in heavily pretreated patients with resistant and refractory chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), including those with the T315I mutant variant of the target protein, Bcr-Abl.  An abstract describing these data is being submitted for presentation at a major hematology meeting to be held later this year.

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

On July 28, 2009, the Company issued a press release announcing preliminary findings from two ongoing clinical trials evaluating oral ridaforolimus in combination with trastuzumab (Herceptin^®) in patients with resistant, metastatic breast cancer and with bevacizumab (Avastin^®) in heavily pretreated patients with refractory, metastatic solid tumors.  Abstracts describing these data have been submitted for presentation at major medical meetings to be held later this year.  The Company is developing ridaforolimus, an investigational mTOR inhibitor, in collaboration with its partner, Merck & Co, Inc.

A copy of the press release is being filed herewith as Exhibit 99.2 and the information contained therein is incorporated by reference into this Current Report on Form 8-K.

ITEM 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d)	Exhibits.
Exhibit Number		Description
99.1		Press Release dated July 27, 2009.
99.2		Press Release dated July 28, 2009.

2

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.
Date:	July 28, 2009	By:	/s/ Edward M. Fitzgerald
			Edward M. Fitzgerald
			Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

Exhibit Index

Exhibit Number	Description
99.1	Press Release dated July 27, 2009.
99.2	Press Release dated July 28, 2009.

3

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

ARIAD Announces Preliminary Results from Ongoing Clinical Trial of Its Investigational, Bcr-Abl Inhibitor – AP24534 – in Drug-Resistant Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 27, 2009--ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARIA) today announced preliminary clinical data from an ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial of its investigational, multi-targeted kinase inhibitor, AP24534, in patients with advanced hematological cancers. The study results provide initial clinical evidence of hematologic, cytogenetic and molecular anti-cancer activity of AP24534 in heavily pretreated patients with resistant and refractory chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), including those with the T315I mutant variant of the target protein, Bcr-Abl. An abstract describing these data is being submitted for presentation at a major hematology meeting to be held later this year.

Treatment of CML or Philadelphia chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL) with Bcr-Abl inhibitors is effective in most patients but frequently results in the emergence of Bcr-Abl mutations that confer drug resistance over time. The T315I mutant of Bcr-Abl currently accounts for approximately 15 to 20 percent of all drug-resistant cases of CML and Ph+ ALL. First-generation therapies, such as imatinib (Gleevec^®), and second-generation therapies, such as dasatinib (Sprycel^®) and nilotinib (Tasigna^®), are not able to inhibit this mutated protein and, therefore, are not effective against all forms of CML and Ph+ ALL.

Clinical Proof-of Concept in Patients with CML and Ph+ ALL

Thirty-two patients have been enrolled to date in this trial in six dosing groups (once daily oral dosing) at five medical centers in the United States; 28 of the patients have resistant and refractory CML or Ph+ ALL. All patients have previously been treated with the currently available first- and second-generation targeted therapies for CML and in most instances, other investigational agents as well. The patients with CML and Ph+ALL enrolled in this study only had very limited treatment options available to them: stem cell transplants, conventional palliative chemotherapy or investigational agents. The study commenced patient enrollment in the second quarter of 2008 and will continue enrolling patients until approximately 50 patients have been enrolled. Dose-escalation will continue until dose-limiting toxicity is observed.

Key preliminary findings to date include:

• In patients with a variety of Bcr-Abl mutations, hematologic responses, cytogenetic responses, and molecular responses have been observed with AP24534 treatment. Hematologic and cytogenetic responses have also been seen in patients with the T315I mutation, which is resistant to all approved Bcr-Abl inhibitors. Collectively, these data suggest a significant degree of anti-tumor activity of AP24534 in highly resistant CML patients.
• In addition, of 23 CML patients in the four highest dosing groups, 19 patients remain on study without disease progression, evidence of control of their disease. Most importantly, of 12 CML patients with the T315I mutation, nine patients remain on study without disease progression, providing further evidence of control of their disease.
• For many of the patients in the highest dosing groups, the duration of treatment with AP24534 has been relatively short. In these patients, it is still early for complete-response assessment. Even in spite of this, evidence of significant improvement in multiple blood-cell lineages has been observed.
• Preliminary safety assessment shows that AP24534 is well tolerated without dose-limiting toxicity at doses studied to date. The most common drug-related adverse events have been thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) and neutropenia (low white blood cell count), which the Company believes reflects the underlying disease and the extensive pre-treatment of the patients in the trial.
• To date, pharmacokinetic data indicate that blood levels predicted preclinically to be associated with complete inhibition of Bcr-Abl mutations have been surpassed. Pharmacodynamic data show evidence that AP24534 is acting mechanistically as designed.

“Especially given that we have not yet reached a maximally tolerated dose, we believe that these preliminary results provide promising evidence of clinical proof-of-concept of AP24534 in patients with drug-resistant and refractory CML and Ph+ ALL, including those with the T315I mutation,” said Frank G. Haluska, M.D., Ph.D., vice president, clinical affairs at ARIAD.

Dr. Haluska added, “Many of the patients assessed to date have already had objective evidence of anti-tumor activity – hematologic, cytogenetic and molecular responses to AP24534. It is important to underscore the lack of therapeutic options available to the patients included in this study. We expect to complete enrollment in the study and to undertake additional evaluation of the safety and efficacy data in the coming months, leading to a presentation at one of the major hematology meetings later this year. Pending completion of the trial and evaluation of the final results, we believe that the results of this trial could form the basis for a pivotal registration trial of AP24534 starting next year.”

About CML and Ph+ ALL

CML is characterized by an excessive and unregulated production of white blood cells by the bone marrow due to a genetic abnormality that produces the Bcr-Abl protein. After a chronic phase of production of too many white blood cells, CML typically evolves to more aggressive phases such as accelerated or blast crisis. Ph+ ALL is a subtype of acute lymphoblastic leukemia that also carries the Ph+ chromosome that produces Bcr-Abl. It has a more aggressive course than CML and is often treated with chemotherapy. Because both of these diseases express the Bcr-Abl protein, this would render them potentially susceptible to treatment with AP24534.

About ARIAD

ARIAD’s vision is to transform the lives of cancer patients with breakthrough medicines. The Company’s mission is to discover, develop and commercialize small-molecule drugs to treat cancer in patients with the greatest and most urgent unmet medical need – aggressive cancers where current therapies are inadequate. ARIAD’s lead product candidate, ridaforolimus, is an investigational mTOR inhibitor in Phase 3 clinical development in patients with advanced sarcomas and is being developed in collaboration with Merck & Co., Inc. ARIAD’s second product candidate, AP24534, is an investigational multi-targeted kinase inhibitor in Phase 1 clinical development in patients with hematological cancers. ARIAD has an exclusive license to pioneering technology and patents related to certain NF-κB cell-signaling activity, which may be useful in treating certain diseases. For additional information about the Company, please visit http://www.ariad.com.

Gleevec^® and Tasigna^® are registered trademarks of Novartis AG, and Sprycel^® is a registered trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb, Inc.

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” including, but not limited to, statements relating to the preliminary clinical data for AP24534, continued enrollment in the Phase 1 clinical trial, the potential for data from this trial forming the basis for a pivotal registration trial of AP24534 and the timing of the start of such trial. Forward-looking 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 statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, preclinical data and early-stage clinical data that may not be replicated in later-stage clinical studies, the costs associated with our research, development, manufacturing and other activities, the conduct, timing and results of pre-clinical and clinical studies of our product candidates, the adequacy of our capital resources and the availability of additional funding, and other factors detailed in the Company's public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The information contained in this press release 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:
ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Maria E. Cantor, 617-621-2208

EX-99.2

Exhibit 99.2

ARIAD Announces Preliminary Data from Two Ongoing Clinical Trials of Its Investigational mTOR Inhibitor, Ridaforolimus, in Combination with Targeted Drugs

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 28, 2009--ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARIA) today announced preliminary findings from two ongoing clinical trials evaluating oral ridaforolimus in combination with trastuzumab (Herceptin^®) in patients with resistant, metastatic breast cancer and with bevacizumab (Avastin^®) in heavily pretreated patients with refractory, metastatic solid tumors. Abstracts describing these data have been submitted for presentation at major medical meetings to be held later this year. ARIAD is developing ridaforolimus, an investigational mTOR inhibitor, in collaboration with its partner, Merck & Co, Inc.

Phase 2 Clinical Trial of Ridaforolimus Combined with Trastuzumab in Metastatic Breast Cancer

There is strong preclinical evidence that resistance to trastuzumab, the mainstay of therapy for patients with Her-2 positive breast cancer, results in activation of the mTOR pathway. This ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial was designed to test the hypothesis that addition of ridaforolimus to trastuzumab in patients with metastatic breast cancer who have become resistant to trastuzumab would result in objective evidence of tumor shrinkage. All patients enrolled in the trial had documented disease progression on trastuzumab alone or in combination. Study treatment consists of oral ridaforolimus (40 mg/day, qdx5) and trastuzumab at standard doses and intervals. None of the patients received chemotherapy during the trial.

The trial started one year ago and is expected to enroll 33 patients. Fourteen sites are participating in the study. The primary objective of the study is to estimate the objective response rate (ORR) defined by RECIST criteria (complete or partial responses). According to the protocol, the study will be considered positive if at least a 15 percent ORR is achieved (five objective responses out of a total of 33 patients enrolled). Clinical-benefit response (CBR) (objective responses and durable stable disease) will also be assessed.

Key preliminary findings to date show:

• Of 28 refractory patients enrolled thus far, 15 patients currently remain on study without disease progression, either with objective evidence of control of their disease or awaiting further assessment.
• At least five partial responses have been observed thus far, which would meet the trial’s pre-specified criterion for a positive outcome, pending independent review of radiologic findings.
• The preliminary CBR rate in these patients with progressive, refractory disease is 35 percent.
• No new or unexpected safety signals due to the combination regimen were observed in the trial.

“We set a high bar for proof of concept in this trial of patients with Her-2 positive, metastatic breast cancer who have progressed while on trastuzumab treatment,” said Pierre F. Dodion, M.D., senior vice president and chief medical officer of ARIAD. “Based on preliminary assessment of the data to date, we believe that the predefined criterion for a positive outcome of the trial will be achieved. We will continue to analyze the results as we complete patient enrollment and look forward to presenting final results of the trial at a major breast cancer meeting later this year.”

Phase 1 Clinical Trial of Ridaforolimus Combined with Bevacizumab in Solid Tumors

There is strong preclinical evidence demonstrating that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the target of bevacizumab, activates the mTOR pathway through binding to VEGF receptors on endothelial cells. In addition, mTOR signaling promotes angiogenesis, and preclinical studies have demonstrated that ridaforolimus inhibits angiogenesis in addition to its effects on cancer cell growth, proliferation and metabolism.

This Phase 1 clinical trial was designed to test the hypothesis that the addition of ridaforolimus to bevacizumab in heavily pretreated patients with metastatic solid tumors who have become resistant to bevacizumab could be achieved safely and would result in evidence of clinical benefit. All patients had refractory, extensively pre-treated metastatic solid tumors (e.g., ovarian, pancreatic, colorectal, head and neck, and uterine cancers). Prior to enrollment in the current trial, all patients had received multiple regimens of chemotherapy and targeted agents, as appropriate for their tumor type, and had progressed on bevacizumab.

Patient enrollment is now complete. The primary endpoint of the study is to determine whether the standard dose of oral ridaforolimus (40 mg/day, qdx5) could be used safely in combination with each of the two approved bevacizumab dosing regimens (infusions every two or three weeks). None of the patients received chemotherapy during the trial. Seventeen patients were enrolled and treated in this study, and all are included in the analysis. Clinical anti-tumor activity was assessed using RECIST criteria.

Key preliminary results include:

• Of 17 patients enrolled in the study, five patients currently remain on study without disease progression, evidence of the control of their disease.
• The preliminary CBR rate in these patients with progressive, refractory disease is 35 percent.
• The longest duration of stable disease currently observed in the trial is 10 cycles of therapy in a patient with advanced pancreatic cancer; this patient also had a 13 percent reduction in tumor size.
• The combination of oral ridaforolimus and bevacizumab at standard doses was well tolerated. No dose-limiting toxicity of the combination was seen.
• No new or unexpected safety signals due to the combination regimen were observed in the trial.

These data will be presented at the upcoming European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) meeting in September 2009.

“We believe that the spectrum of clinical opportunities available to us continues to broaden as we obtain new data on ridaforolimus both as a single agent and in combination with various targeted agents,” said Harvey J. Berger, M.D., chairman and chief executive officer of ARIAD. “The data from these two trials highlight the potential clinical activity of ridaforolimus in patients with difficult-to-treat, resistant and refractory cancers. Overcoming the development of drug resistance in patients with cancer represents an important challenge for new therapeutics.”

About ARIAD

ARIAD’s vision is to transform the lives of cancer patients with breakthrough medicines. The Company’s mission is to discover, develop and commercialize small-molecule drugs to treat cancer in patients with the greatest and most urgent unmet medical need – aggressive cancers where current therapies are inadequate. ARIAD’s lead product candidate, ridaforolimus, is an investigational mTOR inhibitor in Phase 3 clinical development in patients with advanced sarcomas and is being developed in collaboration with Merck & Co., Inc. ARIAD’s second product candidate, AP24534, is an investigational multi-targeted kinase inhibitor in Phase 1 clinical development in patients with hematological cancers. ARIAD has an exclusive license to pioneering technology and patents related to certain NF-κB cell-signaling activity, which may be useful in treating certain diseases. For additional information about the Company, please visit http://www.ariad.com.

Herceptin^® and Avastin^® are registered trademarks of Genentech, Inc., a member of the Roche Group.

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” including, but not limited to, statements relating to the implications of preliminary clinical data, the timing of presentation of results from these trials, and the potential clinical opportunities for ridaforolimus, alone and in combination. Forward-looking 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 statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, preclinical data and early-stage clinical data that may not be replicated in later-stage clinical studies, the costs associated with our research, development, manufacturing and other activities, the conduct, timing and results of pre-clinical and clinical studies of our product candidates, the adequacy of our capital resources and the availability of additional funding, and other factors detailed in the Company's public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The information contained in this press release 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:
ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Maria E. Cantor, 617-621-2208