Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc
Hampshire International Business Park,
Chineham, Basingstoke RG24 8EP  UK
Tel +44 1256 894000 Fax +44 1256 894708
http://www.shire.com

Stock Exchange Announcement
23 December 2002


Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc (the "Company")

The Company announces that on 20 December 2002 Mr Rolf Stahel, an executive
director of the Company, exercised expiring share options over the following
number of ordinary shares of (pound)0.05p each in the Company:

            Shares              Option Price             Option Lapse Date

            270,480             (pound)1.00p (i)         23 January 2003
            329,095             (pound)1.75p (ii)        14 February 2003


Mr Stahel's decision to exercise these options now has been prompted by their
imminent expiry dates and the need to exercise before entering the Company's
closed period which will begin on 27 December 2002, for the period up to the
release of the Company's full year results at the end of February 2003.

Mr Stahel sold 40,480 shares following the exercise of the above options on 20
December at a price of (pound)3.887 per share.

Mr Stahel notified the Company on 20 December 2002 that he has also sold 269,520
shares on 20 December 2002 which he had previously acquired on 16 August 2002
through the exercise of a share option, which was due to expire on 23 November
2002. These shares were also sold at (pound)3.887 per share.

Both the above sale of shares were made only to enable Mr Stahel to partially
fund the cost of exercising the share options and the payment of his associated
tax liability arising from these exercises. Mr Stahel has retained all other
shares resulting from the share option exercises.

As a result of these transactions Mr Stahel has an interest, excluding
unexercised share options, in 601,779 ordinary shares of (pound)0.05p each in
the Company. In addition Mr Stahel has an interest in share options over 644,927
shares in the Company.

Notes:

(i)      Shire Holdings Limited Share Option Scheme
(ii)     Shire Pharmaceuticals Executive Share Option Scheme


T May
Company Secretary

For further information please contact:

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



US & Canada
Gordon Ngan - Investor Relations                        +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 four therapeutic
areas - central nervous system disorders (CNS), oncology, gastro-intestinal (GI)
and anti-infectives. Shire also has three platform technologies: advanced drug
delivery, lead optimisation for small molecules 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