ARIAD Key Scientific Founder Organizes International Conference Devoted to NF-kB Cell Signaling.

Business/Technology Editors & Health/Medical Writers

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 25, 2002

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARIA) today announced the start of a week-long Keystone Symposium devoted to the NF-(kappa)B cell-signaling protein, its role in disease, and therapeutic interventions targeting its biological activity. The symposium - co-organized by Dr. David Baltimore, head of the scientific team that discovered NF-(kappa)B and one of ARIAD's scientific founders - features presentations by over forty of the world's leading NF-(kappa)B researchers.

Lectures to be presented at the meeting highlight that NF-(kappa)B can be activated by tumor necrosis factor-(alpha), interleukin-1, growth factors, bacteria, viruses, and oxidative stress. In turn, NF-(kappa)B plays a critical role in the control of key genes involved in cellular growth, differentiation, development, survival, and death and has been implicated in inflammation, immunity, cancer, diabetes, bone remodeling, sepsis, and other metabolic diseases.

"Fifteen years have passed since publication of the original work on NF-(kappa)B by the Baltimore lab at The Whitehead Institute. The NF-(kappa)B pathway provides a robust source of well-validated targets for therapy," said Harvey J. Berger, M.D., chairman and chief executive officer of ARIAD.

Further information about the meeting and the lecture schedule can be found on the web at http://www.symposia.com/Meetings/ViewMeetings.cfm?MeetingID=590.

ARIAD is engaged in the discovery and development of breakthrough medicines that regulate cell signaling with small molecules. The Company's development pipeline includes: a bone-targeted drug candidate to treat the complications of cancer that has spread to bone; a drug candidate that controls cell proliferation and nutrient supply of tumors to treat cancer; a T cell immunotherapy product candidate in which a non-immunosuppressive drug may be used to treat graft-vs-host disease following donor bone marrow transplantation - a therapy for cancer and other immune and blood diseases; a regulated protein therapy product candidate to treat anemia in which the production of erythropoietin is controlled in vivo using an orally administered drug; and dual-action drug candidates that block bone resorption and stimulate bone formation to treat osteoporosis. ARIAD also has an exclusive license to pioneering technology related to the discovery, development, and use of drugs that modulate the NF-(kappa)B pathway, which has been implicated in many major diseases.

Additional information about ARIAD can be found on the web at www.ariad.com, including a new Chairman's View on the Company's product development partnering strategy, which is not made a part of this press release.

Some of the matters discussed herein are forward-looking statements. Such statements are identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "intend," "plan," "believe," and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. Such statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to certain factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, events and performance to differ materially from those referred to or implied in such statements. These risks include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding the Company's preclinical studies, the Company's ability to conduct clinical trials of its product candidates and the results of such trials, as well as risks and uncertainties relating to economic conditions, markets, products, competition, intellectual property, services and prices, key employees, future capital needs, dependence on the Company's collaborators and other factors. These risks are identified in ARIAD's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2000, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The information contained in this document 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.