Profile: Shire Plc (SHPGY.O)

Shire plc, formerly Shire Ltd. is a 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), and gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, as well as opportunities in other therapeutic areas. Substantially all of the Company’s revenues and net assets are attributable to the research and development (R&D), manufacture, sale and distribution of pharmaceutical products within two operating segments: Specialty Pharmaceuticals and HGT. The Company’s key marketed products as of December 31, 2008, include VYVANSE; DAYTRANA; ADDERALL XR; PENTASA; LIALDA/ MEZAVANT; FOSRENOL; CALCICHEW; CARBATROL; REMINYL/REMINYL XL; XAGRID; REPLAGAL; ELAPRASE, and FIRAZYR.