8-K

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 10, 2004

Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

England and Wales

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)

0-29630	98-0359573
(Commission File Number)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

Hampshire International Business Park, Chineham, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG24 8EP England
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code      44 1256 894 000

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Item 5. Other Events

Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc has issued the press release attached as Exhibit 99.1 and which is incorporated by reference herein.

Item 7. Financial Statements and Exhibits

     (c) Exhibits.    The following exhibit is filed herewith:

99.1       Press Release dated March 10, 2004

SIGNATURE

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

SHIRE PHARMACEUTICALS GROUP PLC

By:    /s/ A C Russell                  
       Name: Angus Russell
       Title:   Group Finance Director

Dated: March 10, 2004

EXHIBIT INDEX

Number      Description

99.1            Press Release dated March 10, 2004

EX-99.01

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

For immediate release
5:15 am ET 10:15 am GMT

New Non Executive Director and Future Audit
Committee Chairman appointed to Shire Board

Basingstoke, UK – 10 March 2004 – The Board of Directors of Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY, TSX: SHQ) announces that David Kappler will join as a Non Executive Director and as a member of the Company’s Audit Committee on April 5, 2004. David will take over Chairmanship of the Company’s Audit Committee from Ronald Nordmann after the second quarter results in July 2004.

David Kappler is Chief Financial Officer of Cadbury Schweppes plc, the FTSE and NYSE listed global confectionery and beverages group; he retires from this position in April 2004. David has undertaken a range of senior finance roles for Cadbury Schweppes during his almost 40 year career with the group including playing a leading role in the company’s acquisition strategy, particularly in the US.

Dr James Cavanaugh, Chairman of Shire said:

“David is an excellent addition to the Shire Board. His previous roles and wealth of experience of all aspects of global corporate financial issues make him ideally suited to both take up the position of Audit Committee Chairman and to contribute more widely to the development of Shire’s future.”

David Kappler said:

“Shire has an impressive history of growth and I am pleased to be able to join at such an exciting time. I look forward to using my broad international experience to help the Company fulfil its future ambitions.”

David has been a Director of Camelot Group plc and is currently a Non Executive Director of HMV Group plc where he is also Chairman of the

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Audit Committee. He has also served on a number of other boards around the world in which Cadbury Schweppes has held minority stakes.

David is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. He is the Chairman of The Hundred Group’s Investor Relations Committee; a group comprising the finance directors of the UK’s top 100 companies.

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For further information please contact:
Investor Relations
Cléa Rosenfeld	+44 1256 894 160
Media
Jessica Mann	+44 1256 894 280
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

Photos of David Kappler available from www.shire.com Media Section or telephone 01256 894160

Biographical details of David Kappler

Education

1975	Fellow of Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
1970	Associate of Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
1968	Prize winner – Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
Business Experience
1965 – date	Cadbury Schweppes plc
1995 – date	Group Finance Director / Chief Financial officer
1994 – 1995	Director of Corporate Finance
1991 – 1994	Finance Director of Group Confectionery

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1989 – 1991	Finance Director, Cadbury Limited (following Cadbury
	Schweppes’ purchase of the Trebor Group)
1984 – 1989	Finance Director of Trebor Group (then a private company)
1977 – 1984	Group Financial Director – Jeyes Group Ltd (Health &
	Hygiene Division, a subsidiary of Cadbury Schweppes)
1965 – 1977	Trainee Accountant, Cadbury Ltd, at Bournville

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.

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