Notification of major interests in shares

24th Jul 2008 14:43

Notification of major interests in shares

Basingstoke, UK and Philadelphia, US - July 24, 2008 - Shire Limited , the global specialty biopharmaceutical company

1. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer of existing shares to which voting rights are attached:

Shire Limited

2. Reason for the notification State Yes/No An acquisition or disposal of voting rights Yes An acquisition or disposal of financial instruments which may result in the acquisition of shares already issued to which voting rights are attached An event changing the breakdown of voting rights

Other (please specify): New Exemption DTR 5.1.3 (4) & DTR Yes 5.1.5 (1)

3. Full name of person(s) subject to the notification The Goldman Sachs obligation:

Group Inc 4. Full name of shareholder(s) (if different from 3.): Goldman, Sachs & Co.,

Goldman Sachs Financial Markets L.L.C., Spear, Leeds & Kellogg Specialists L.L.C.

5. Date of the transaction (and date on which the 21 July 2008 threshold is crossed or reached if different): 6. Date on which issuer notified: 23 July 2008 7. Threshold(s) that is/are crossed or reached: 3% 8. Notified details:

A: Voting rights attached to shares

Class/type of Situation previous to Resulting situation after the triggering

shares the Triggering transaction if possible transaction using the ISIN CODE Number Number Number Number of voting % of voting of of of rights rights Shares Voting shares Rights Direct Direct Indirect Direct Indirect US82481R1068 Below 3% 341,958 16,910,901 0.061% 3.023% (113,986 (5,636,967 ADRs) ADRs) B: Financial Instruments

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of Expiration Exercise/ Number of voting % of financial date Conversion rights that may be voting instrument Period/ Date acquired if the rights instrument is exercised/converted Total (A+B) Number of voting rights % of voting rights 17,252,859 3.08%

9. Chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or the financial instruments are effectively held, if applicable:

The interest in 179,931 shares arose from a beneficial interest held by Goldman, Sachs & Co. ("GS&Co."), a direct subsidiary of GS Inc of 59,977 American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"). These ADRs are, or will be, held at the Depositary Trust Company of New York ("DTC").

The interest in 16,850,388 shares arose from an interest held by Goldman, Sachs & Co., a wholly-owned direct subsidiary of GS Inc, acting as custodian for its customers of 5,616,796 American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"). These ADRs are, or will be, held at the Depositary Trust Company of New York ("DTC").

The interest in 60,513 shares arose from an interest held by Goldman, Sachs & Co., a wholly-owned direct subsidiary of GS Inc, acting as discretionary manager of 20,171 American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"). These ADRs are, or will be, held at the Depositary Trust Company of New York ("DTC").

The interest in 45,942 shares arose from a beneficial interest held by Goldman Sachs International, a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of GS Inc of 15,314 American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"). These ADRs are, or will be, held at the Depositary Trust Company of New York ("DTC").

The interest in 106,998 shares arose from a beneficial interest held by Goldman Sachs Financial Markets L.L.C. of 35,666 American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"). These ADRs are, or will be, held at the Depositary Trust Company of New York ("DTC").

The interest in 9,087 shares arose from a beneficial interest held by Spear, Leeds & Kellogg Specialists LLC, a direct subsidiary of GS Inc of 3,029 American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"). These ADRs are, or will be, held at the Depositary Trust Company of New York ("DTC").

Proxy Voting:10. Name of the proxy holder: N/A

11. Number of voting rights proxy holder will cease to hold: N/A 12. Date on which proxy holder will cease to hold voting N/A

rights: 13. Additional information: General Email Contact: [email protected] 14. Contact name: Sean Rogers/Alan Cox

15. Contact telephone number: 0207-552-9205 / 0207-774 -8774

Contact at Shire Limited: Tony Guthrie, Deputy Company Secretary, 01256 894746

For further information please contact:

Investor Relations Clĩa Rosenfeld (Rest of the World) +44 1256 894 160 Eric Rojas (North America) +1 484 595 8252 Notes to editorsSHIRE LIMITED

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 and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), human genetic therapies (HGT), gastrointestinal (GI) and renal diseases. The structure is sufficiently flexible to allow Shire to target new therapeutic areas to the extent opportunities arise through acquisitions. Shire's in-licensing, merger and acquisition efforts are focused on products in niche markets with strong intellectual property protection either in the US or Europe. Shire believes that a carefully selected 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.

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Registered in Jersey, No. 99854, 22 Grenville Street, St Helier, Jersey JE4 8PX

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