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 31, 2016

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

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))

In the press release dated October 31, 2016, ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“ARIAD” or the “Company”) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review the New Drug Application (NDA) for ARIAD’s investigational oral anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitor, brigatinib, in patients with metastatic ALK-positive (ALK+) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have progressed on crizotinib. The FDA granted ARIAD’s request for Priority Review and has set an action date of April 29, 2017 under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA).  

A copy of the press release is being filed herewith as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated by reference herein.

(d)     Exhibits.

The press release may contain hypertext links to information on our websites.  The information on our websites is not incorporated by reference into this Current Report on Form 8-K and does not constitute a part of this Form 8-K.

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.

Exhibit List.