ROCKVILLE, MD – (29 November, 2000) – Shire Laboratories Inc., a subsidiary of the Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc ("Shire") (LSE: SHP.L, NASDAQ: SHPGY), today announced that it signed four partnerships with different pharmaceutical companies in the year 2000. These partnerships include the recently disclosed agreement with BioStratum. They cover the application of Shire's advanced drug delivery technologies to enable and enhance the delivery of specific products and range from improving oral bioavailability to the development of oral controlled release formulations.

   "This year we made significant progress towards establishing a strong position in oral drug delivery. We have become a leader in oral controlled release and are now the only drug delivery company that offers pharmaceutical partners patented and proven technologies in all three areas of oral controlled release : Microtrol™ ( multiparticulate beadlet system), Solutrol® (matrix system) and EnSoTrol® (osmotic system)." said Jack A. Khattar, President and CEO. "Our technologies have gained quick and wide acceptance in the industry as evident by the several partnerships we have been able to sign only one year after we started marketing our capabilities . We continue to prove and validate our technologies with regulatory approvals on Carbatrol® and filings such as the recent one for once-a-day Adderall®, and with intellectual property such as the issuance of the US patent on EnSoTrol®," he added.

   In addition, Shire Laboratories recently launched its new ProScreen™ Predictive NCE Screening Technology which complements its OptiScreen™ Formulation Optimization Technology. The two technologies are designed to assist pharmaceutical companies in identifying and selecting NCE's to be advanced to the clinic and in optimizing their oral bioavailability.

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   Notes to editors

   Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc

   Shire is an international specialty pharmaceutical company with a strategic focus on four therapeutic areas: central nervous system disorders, metabolic diseases, oncology and gastroenterology. The group has a sales and marketing infrastructure with a broad portfolio of products targeting with its own sales force the US, Canada, UK, Republic of Ireland, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, with plans to add Japan by 2004. Shire intends to cover other significant pharmaceutical markets indirectly through distributors. We have already appointed distributors in Australia, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Israel, Malaysia, Norway, Philippines (limited to one third party product licensed to the local distributor), Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, and Thailand.

   Shire's global search and development expertise has to date successfully provided eight marketed products, of which Reminyl for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease is the latest to be launched in its first market, the UK. The current pipeline of 15 projects includes Reminyl in registration in the US and various other markets and 9 others that are post Phase II. Shire is actively seeking to acquire further marketed products and development projects to enhance the potential for future growth. Shire M&A activity has resulted in five mergers and acquisitions during the last six years.

   Shire's focus and outsourcing policies have resulted in sales per employee of $400,000³, one of the highest ratios in the Pharmaceutical Industry.

   3.Based on 1999 figures

   THE "SAFE HARBOR" STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995. The statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, risks associated with the inherent uncertainty of pharmaceutical research, product development and commercialization, the impact of competitive products, patents, and other risks and uncertainties, including those detailed from time to time in periodic reports, including the F-4 Prospectus and the Annual Report filed on Form 20-F with the Securities and Exchange Commission.