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.