Celebrity Designer Ty Pennington Partners with Shire to Unveil Project Playground in New York Harlem Neighborhood

Celebrity Designer Ty Pennington Partners with Shire to Unveil Project Playground in New York Harlem Neighborhood

NEW YORK, Aug. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrity designer Ty Pennington today will unveil Project Playground, a community-centered initiative in which Pennington has partnered with Shire to design, build and donate a fully equipped playground to an elementary school in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, Public School (P.S.) 72. Shire and Pennington, who is a spokesman for Shire concerning Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and speaks often about how his life has been impacted by this medical condition, collaborated on Project Playground as a way to promote healthy lifestyles among children, and to contribute to the community in a tangible way.

Pennington and Shire initiated Project Playground after discovering that this elementary school, with more than 600 students, had no playground equipment to use during their recess and after-school time. Pennington worked with Shire to create a fun, multi-purpose playground that would include a jungle gym, a basketball court, a running track, and a kickball and baseball diamond.

Project Playground will be unveiled at 10:00 a.m. today at P.S. 72, which is located at 131 East 104th Street (at Lexington Avenue) in New York City.

"I am proud to partner with Shire in this community initiative. So many of my childhood memories are about having fun with friends on the playground at recess and after school and playing sports, too. I know that kids, especially those who have ADHD, need to stay active, and Project Playground will leave these students with an awesome place where they can use their energy and channel their abilities in school and after school," said Ty Pennington, host of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition(TM). "I know, firsthand, the importance of understanding and treating ADHD, and believe that there may be kids out there with ADHD who could benefit from the same kind of support."

"We feel extremely privileged to have the opportunity to brighten the lives of these elementary school children through Project Playground," said Matthew Emmens, Shire Chief Executive Officer. "Shire is proud to partner on initiatives that impact communities in meaningful ways, and especially when we can help promote healthy lifestyles among children."

Frank A. Lopez, M.D., neurodevelopmental pediatrician who is bilingual in English and Spanish, will be available during today's grand opening ceremony to address any questions that members of the public may have about ADHD.

Shire is the leading manufacturer of ADHD medications, including the newly launched VYVANSE(TM) (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate).

   For further information on Project Playground please contact:    Brooke Salti (Porter Novelli for Shire) (212) 601-8241 office                                           (646) 761-5824 cell                                            brooke.salti@porternovelli.com    Matthew Cabrey (Shire North America)    (484) 595-8248                                            mcabrey@shire.com    About VYVANSE  

Tell the doctor about any heart conditions, including structural abnormalities, that you, your child, or a family member, may have. Inform the doctor immediately if your child develops symptoms that suggest heart problems, such as chest pain or fainting.

VYVANSE should not be taken if your child has advanced disease of the blood vessels (arteriosclerosis); symptomatic heart disease; moderate to severe high blood pressure; overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism); known allergy or unusual reactions to drugs called sympathomimetic amines (for example, pseudoephedrine); seizures; glaucoma; a history of problems with alcohol or drugs; agitated states; taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) within the last 14 days.

Tell the doctor before taking VYVANSE if your child is being treated for or has symptoms of depression (sadness, worthlessness, or hopelessness) or bipolar disorder; has abnormal thought or visions, hears abnormal sounds, or has been diagnosed with psychosis; has had seizures or abnormal EEGs; has or has had high blood pressure; exhibits aggressive behavior or hostility. Tell the doctor immediately if your child develops any of these conditions or symptoms while taking VYVANSE.

Abuse of amphetamines may lead to dependence. Misuse of amphetamine may cause sudden death and serious cardiovascular adverse events. These events have also been reported rarely with amphetamine use.VYVANSE was generally well tolerated in clinical studies. The most common side effects reported in studies of VYVANSE were decreased appetite, difficulty falling asleep, stomachache, and irritability.

Aggression, new abnormal thoughts/behaviors, mania, growth suppression, worsening of motion or verbal tics, and Tourette's syndrome have been associated with use of drugs of this type. Tell the doctor if your child has blurred vision while taking VYVANSE.

   For more information about VYVANSE, visit www.vyvanse.com.    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 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 believes that a carefully selected portfolio of products with a strategically aligned and relatively small-scale sales force will deliver strong results.

Shire's focused strategy is to develop and market products for specialty physicians. 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.

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

THE "SAFE HARBOR" STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995

Statements included herein 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 such risks or uncertainties materialize, 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, manufacturing and commercialization; the impact of competitive products, including, but not limited to the impact of those on Shire's Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder ("ADHD") franchise; patents, including but not limited to, legal challenges relating to Shire's ADHD franchise; government regulation and approval, including but not limited to the expected product approval date of INTUNIV(TM) (guanfacine) extended release (ADHD); Shire's ability to secure new products for commercialization and/or development; Shire's ability to benefit from its acquisition of New River Pharmaceuticals Inc.; the successful development of JUVISTA(R), and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in Shire plc's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, particularly Shire plc's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Shire plc

CONTACT: Brooke Salti, Porter Novelli for Shire, +1-212-601-8241,
office, +1-646-761-5824, cell, or brooke.salti@porternovelli.com, or Matthew
Cabrey, Shire North America, +1-484-595-8248, or mcabrey@shire.com

Web site: http://www.vyvanse.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment