Exhibit 99.1
| Press Release | |
| www.shire.com | |
Director/PDMR Shareholding
February 23, 2009 - Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY), the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, announces that on February 20, 2009 the following Persons Discharging Managerial Responsibility (“PDMRs”) were granted awards under the Shire Portfolio Share Plan (the “Plan”).
Awards of Stock Settled Appreciation Rights (“SARs”) under Part A of the Plan
| Name of PDMR | Type of Security | No of Ordinary Shares or ADSs | Exercise price |
| Angus Russell (Executive Director)* | Ordinary Shares | 295,580 | £8.83 |
| Graham Hetherington (Executive Director)* | Ordinary Shares | 100,000 | £8.83 |
| Tatjana May | Ordinary Shares | 40,000 | £8.83 |
| Joseph Rus | Ordinary Shares | 30,000 | £8.83 |
| Michael Cola | ADSs | 20,000 | $38.63 |
| Sylvie Gregoire | ADSs | 20,000 | $38.63 |
| Barbara Deptula | ADSs | 12,000 | $38.63 |
| Anita Graham | ADSs | 12,000 | $38.63 |
*Awards to Executive Directors are subject to performance targets
SARs will normally vest after three years, subject to any performance targets. Once vested, SARs will be capable of exercise for a period of two years. No consideration was paid for the grant of the SARs.
Performance Share Awards (“PSA Awards”) under Part B of the Plan
| Name of PDMR | Type of Security | No of Ordinary Shares or ADSs | Market value |
| Angus Russell (Executive Director)* | Ordinary Shares | 221,685 | £8.83 |
| Graham Hetherington (Executive Director)* | Ordinary Shares | 75,000 | £8.83 |
| Tatjana May | Ordinary Shares | 30,000 | £8.83 |
| Joseph Rus | Ordinary Shares | 20,000 | £8.83 |
| Michael Cola | ADSs | 15,000 | $38.63 |
| Sylvie Gregoire | ADSs | 15,000 | $38.63 |
| Barbara Deptula | ADSs | 9,000 | $38.63 |
| Anita Graham | ADSs | 9,000 | $38.63 |
*Awards to Executive Directors are subject to performance targets
The PSA awards will normally vest after three years, subject to any performance targets. Once vested, sufficient ordinary shares or ADSs will be transferred or allotted to the participant within 30 days. No consideration was paid for the grant of the PSA awards.
This notification is to satisfy the Company's obligations under 3.1.4(R)(1)(a) of the Disclosure and Transparency Rules.
Tony Guthrie
Deputy Company Secretary
Registered in Jersey, No. 99854, 22 Grenville Street, St Helier, Jersey JE4 8PX
For further information please contact:
| Investor Relations | Cléa Rosenfeld (Rest of the World) | +44 1256 894 160 |
| | Eric Rojas (North America) | +1 617 551 9715 |
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.
