Shire Appoints Philip J. Vickers, PhD as Senior Vice President of Research & Development for Human Genetic Therapies Business

NYON, Switzerland and CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, October 11, 2010 - Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY), the global specialty
biopharmaceutical company, today announced that Philip J. Vickers, PhD, has
been appointed Senior Vice President of Research & Development (R&D) for its
Human Genetic Therapies (HGT) business. In this position, Dr. Vickers will be
responsible for leading global R&D for Shire HGT and for establishing the
strategic direction of the Company's pipeline. As a member of the HGT
leadership team, he will report to Sylvie Gregoire, President of Shire HGT,
and will play a central role in the development and execution of HGT's global
business strategy.

A senior executive with more than two decades of pharmaceutical and
biotechnology industry experience, Dr. Vickers joins Shire from Resolvyx
Pharmaceuticals where he was Chief Scientific Officer and President. While at
Resolvyx, he served as a member of the Board and was accountable for all
preclinical and clinical research, as well as external business development
activities and collaborations. Previously, Dr. Vickers was Senior Vice
President and U.S. Head of Research at Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals,
where he led a research site that focused on the therapeutic areas of
cardiovascular and immunology and inflammation while managing strategic
external collaborations. He also held leadership positions at Pfizer in both
the US and UK, and began his career at Merck Frosst in Canada.

Dr. Vickers completed his undergraduate studies with a Bachelor of
Science degree in applied biochemistry at the University of Salford,
Manchester and subsequently earned a PhD in biochemistry at the University of
Toronto. He was also a Visiting Fellow at the National Cancer Institute in
Bethesda, Maryland.

"Shire HGT has grown substantially in recent years, and we are pleased to
have Phil join us at a crucial time in the growth of the Company," said
Sylvie Gregoire, President of Shire HGT. "He has the breadth of experience
and expertise that will enhance our scientific and business capabilities in
forging the long-term vision for the Company, and we will count on him to
help us deliver on our promise to patients suffering from rare genetic
diseases worldwide."

Notes to editors

SHIRE PLC

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 hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD), human genetic therapies (HGT) and gastrointestinal (GI)
diseases as well as opportunities in other therapeutic areas to the extent
they arise through acquisitions. Shire's in-licensing, merger and acquisition
efforts are focused on products in specialist markets with strong
intellectual property protection and global rights. Shire believes that a
carefully selected and balanced 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.

"SAFE HARBOR" STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM
ACT OF 1995

Statements included herein that are not historical facts are
forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve a number
of risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time. In the
event such risks or uncertainties materialize, the Company's results could be
materially adversely affected. The risks and uncertainties include, but are
not limited to, risks associated with: the inherent uncertainty of research,
development, approval, reimbursement, manufacturing and commercialization of
the Company's Specialty Pharmaceutical and Human Genetic Therapies products,
as well as the ability to secure and integrate new products for
commercialization and/or development; government regulation of the Company's
products; the Company's ability to manufacture its products in sufficient
quantities to meet demand; the impact of competitive therapies on the
Company's products; the Company's ability to register, maintain and enforce
patents and other intellectual property rights relating to its products; the
Company's ability to obtain and maintain government and other third-party
reimbursement for its products; and other risks and uncertainties detailed
from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.

    For further information please contact:

    Media

    Jessica Mann (Rest of the World)          +44-1256-894-280
    Jessica Cotrone (North America, HGT)      +1-781-482-9538

For further information please contact: Media: Jessica Mann (Rest of the World), +44-1256-894-280; Jessica Cotrone (North America, HGT), +1-781-482-9538