Ariad Pharmaceuticals, an integrated global oncology company, has appointed Alexander J. Denner, Ph.D., to a two-year term on the company's board of directors, effective immediately. With the addition of Denner, who is the chief investment officer and founding partner of Sarissa Capital Management LP, the board now comprises nine directors, eight of whom are independent. The company also will appoint another independent director to the board, who will be selected by the board and be subject to Denner's concurrence.

Previously, Denner was a senior managing director at Icahn Capital, a portfolio manager at Viking Global Investors and a portfolio manager at Morgan Stanley Investment Management. Denner is a director of biopharmaceutical companies Biogen Idec and Vivus.

Denner brings a strong background overseeing the operations and R&D of healthcare companies and evaluating corporate governance matters. He also has extensive experience as an investor, particularly with respect to healthcare companies, and has broad healthcare-industry knowledge.