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): February 14, 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 February 14, 2006, ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
       announced initiation of enrollment of advanced cancer patients in a Phase
       Ib clinical trial of its novel mTOR inhibitor, AP23573, in combination
       with doxorubicin - a long-standing chemotherapeutic agent and the
       mainstay of treatment for a broad range of cancers and hematologic
       malignancies.

       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 February 14, 2006.




                                       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.


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

Date: February 14, 2006



                                       3



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

Exhibit
Number        Description
- -------       -----------
99.1          Press release dated February 14, 2006.


                                       4