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): October 6, 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 8.01  Other Events.

     In a press release dated October 6, 2004, ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
     announced that it will provide a live webcast of its corporate presentation
     at the BIO Emerging Company Investor Forum, Wednesday, October 13, 2004, at
     the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. The presentation will be given at 3:20
     p.m. (Pacific Time) by Harvey J. Berger, M.D., chairman and chief executive
     officer of ARIAD, who will provide an overview of the Company and its
     progress in key programs. 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 October 6, 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:    October 6, 2004




                                  EXHIBIT INDEX
                                  -------------
Exhibit
Number            Description
- ------            -----------
99.1              Press release dated October 6, 2004.