Ariad Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the United States Adopted Names (USAN) Council and the World Health Organization (WHO) have approved the name "deforolimus" for AP23573, ARIAD's proprietary mTOR inhibitor. Ariad and Merck & Co., Inc. have a global collaboration to jointly develop and commercialize deforolimus for use in cancer. The phase 3 trial of oral deforolimus in patients with metastatic sarcoma is expected to begin this quarter.

Ariad's lead product candidate, deforolimus, is a novel small-molecule inhibitor of the protein mTOR, a "master switch" in cancer cells. Blocking mTOR creates a starvation-like effect in cancer cells by interfering with cell growth, division, metabolism, and angiogenesis. Deforolimus is currently in phase 1 and 2 clinical trials in patients with solid tumours and hematologic cancers. Deforolimus has been designated both as a fast-track product and an orphan drug by the US Food and Drug Administration and as an orphan drug by the European Medicines Agency for the treatment of soft-tissue and bone sarcomas. Ariad is collaborating with Merck to develop and commercialize deforolimus in oncology and with Medinol Ltd. to develop stents and other medical devices that deliver deforolimus to prevent reblockage at sites of vascular injury following stent-assisted angioplasty.

ARIAD is engaged in the discovery and development of breakthrough medicines to treat cancer by regulating cell signalling with small molecules.

Ariad is developing a comprehensive approach to patients with cancer that addresses the greatest medical need - aggressive and advanced-stage cancers for which current treatments are inadequate.