STOCK EXCHANGE ANNOUNCEMENT
7 October 2002



Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc (the "Company")

I have to inform you that the Company was notified on 4 October 2002 under
Sections 198 to 202 of the Companies Act that on 3 October 2002 FMR Corp. and
its direct and indirect subsidiaries and Fidelity International Limited and its
direct and indirect subsidiaries, both being non-beneficial holders, held solely
for investment purposes in aggregate 24,007,364 ordinary shares of (pound)0.05p
each in the capital of the Company. These holdings represent 4.97 per cent of
the issued ordinary share capital of the Company.




T May
Company Secretary

For further information please contact:

Global (outside US and Canada)
Clea Rosenfeld - Investor Relations                   +44 1256 894 160
Jessica Mann - Media                                  +44 1256 894 280

US & Canada
Gordon Ngan - Investor Relations                      +1 450 978 7942
Michele Roy - Media                                   +1 450 978 7938


Notes to editors
Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc

Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc (Shire) is a rapidly growing international
specialty pharmaceutical company with a strategic focus on three therapeutic
areas - central nervous system disorders (CNS), oncology and anti-infectives.
Shire also has two platform technologies: advanced drug delivery and biologics.
Shire's core strategy is based on research and development combined with in
licensing and a focus on eight key pharmaceutical markets.

For further information on Shire, please visit the Company's website:
www.shire.com


THE "SAFE HARBOUR" 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. Such forward-looking statements involve a number of
risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time. In the event that
such risks or uncertainties materialise, Shire's results could be materially
affected. The risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks
associated with the inherent uncertainty of pharmaceutical research, product
development and commercialisation, the impact of competitive products, patents,
government regulation and approval, and other risks and uncertainties detailed
from time to time in periodic reports produced by Shire, including the Annual
Report filed on Form 10K by Shire with the Securities and Exchange Commission.