Shire plc (SHPG) to Ring the NASDAQ Stock Market Opening Bell


ADVISORY, March 24, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) --



 What:
 Angus Russell, CFO and incoming CEO of Shire plc (SHPG), will preside
 over the opening bell. Today's ringing of the opening bell marks
 Shire's 10 year anniversary as a NASDAQ listed company.

 Where:
 NASDAQ MarketSite - 4 Times Square - 43rd & Broadway - Broadcast Studio

 When:
 Tuesday, March 25, 2008 at 9:30 a.m. ET

 Contacts:
 Matt Cabrey
 Shire Pharmaceuticals
 Corporate Communications
 Phone: 484-595-8248
 Cell: 610-613-2790
 Email: mcabrey@shire.com

 NASDAQ MarketSite:
 Jolene Libretto; 646.441.5220; mobile - 347.219.9539
 Jolene.Libretto@NASDAQ.com

Feed Information:

The opening bell is available from 9:20 a.m. to 9:35 a.m. on Galaxy 26 - uplink IA6 C band / transponder 24, downlink frequency 4180 horizontal. The feed can also be found on Waterfront fiber 1623. If you have any questions, please contact Jolene Libretto at (646) 441-5220.

Webcast:

A live Webcast of the NASDAQ Opening Bell will be available at: http://www.nasdaq.com/reference/marketsite_about.stm

Photos:

To obtain a hi-resolution photograph of the Market Open, please go to http://www.nasdaq.com/reference/marketsite_events.stm and click on the market open of your choice.

About Shire plc (SHPG):

Shire's strategic goal is to become the leading specialty biopharmaceutical company that focuses on meeting the needs of the specialist physician. Shire focuses its business on attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), human genetic therapies (HGT), gastrointestinal (GI) and renal diseases. The structure is sufficiently flexible to allow Shire to target new therapeutic areas to the extent opportunities arise through acquisitions. Shire's in-licensing, merger and acquisition efforts are focused on products in niche markets with strong intellectual property protection either in the US or Europe. Shire believes that a carefully selected portfolio of products with strategically aligned and relatively small-scale sales forces will deliver strong results. For further information on Shire, please visit the Company's website: www.shire.com.