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):   July 8, 2005

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)	(IRS 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)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2.):

o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 8.01. Other Events

     Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc has issued the press release attached as Exhibit 99.01 which is incorporated by reference herein.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits

	(c)	Exhibits. The following exhibit is filed herewith:
99.01		Press Release dated July 8, 2005

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:	Chief Financial Officer

Dated: July 8, 2005

EXHIBIT INDEX

Number	Description
99.01	Press Release dated July 8, 2005

EX-99.1

	EXHIBIT 99.01
Hampshire International Business Park Chineham Basingstoke Hampshire RG24 8EP United Kingdom Tel +44 (0)1256 894000 Fax +44 (0)1256 894708 www.shire.com
Press Release

8 July 2005

Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc (the “Company”)

The Company announces that it was notified on 7 July 2005 under Sections 198 to 202 of the Companies Act that Aviva plc, through its subsidiary Morley Fund Management Limited sold 333,635 shares on 6 July 2005 and now holds in aggregate 14,666,124 ordinary shares of £0.05p each in the capital of the Company. These holdings represent 2.98 per cent of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company.

T May
Company Secretary

For further information please contact:
Investor Relations	Cléa Rosenfeld (Rest of the World)	+44 1256 894 160
	Brian Piper (North America)	+1 484 595 8252

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.

Registered in England 2883758 Registered Office as above