EXHIBIT 99.1

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

Embargoed until
05.00 ET 10.00 GMT

Shire brings legal suit against Nostrum Pharmaceuticals

Basingstoke, UK – 14 January 2004 – Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY, TSX: SHQ) announces that its subsidiary Shire Laboratories Inc. has served Nostrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Nostrum”) with a complaint for patent infringement of Shire Laboratories' U.S. Patent Nos. 5,912,013 ("'013 Patent") and 5,326,570 ("’570 Patent”). The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

The lawsuit results from an ANDA (Abbreviated New Drug Application) filed by Nostrum for a generic version of the 300 mg dosage strength of CARBATROL®, pursuant to which Nostrum provided notice that it would seek to market its generic product before the expiration of the ‘013 and ‘570 Patents.

CARBATROL® is Shire's leading extended-release medication for the treatment of epilepsy.

For further information please contact:

Investor Relations
Cléa Rosenfeld	+44 1256 894 160
Media
Jessica Mann	+44 1256 894 160

Notes to editors

Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc

Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc (Shire) is a global specialty pharmaceutical company with a strategic focus on meeting the needs of the specialist physician and currently focuses on developing projects and marketing products in the areas of central nervous system (CNS), gastrointestinal (GI), and renal diseases. Shire has operations in the world’s key pharmaceutical markets (US, Canada, UK, France, Italy, Spain and Germany) as well as a specialist drug delivery unit in the US.

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 on Shire’s Attention Deficit 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 lanthanum carbonate (FOSRENOL®), METHYPATCH®, XAGRID® and the adult indication for ADDERALL XR® and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in our filings, including the Annual Report filed on Form 10-K by Shire with the Securities and Exchange Commission.