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):  October 20, 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 October 20, 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: October 20, 2005

EXHIBIT INDEX

Number	Description
99.01	Press Release dated October 20, 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

ADDERALL XR^® - Shire Files Legal Suit against Barr
Laboratories and Impax Laboratories for Infringement of
U.S. Patent No. 6,913,768

Basingstoke, UK and Philadelphia, US – October 20, 2005 – Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY, TSX: SHQ) announces that its subsidiary Shire Laboratories Inc. has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York against Barr Laboratories, Inc. (“Barr”) and Impax Laboratories, Inc. (“Impax”) for infringement of Shire Laboratories U.S. Patent No. 6,913,768 (“‘768 Patent”).

The lawsuit results from ANDAs (Abbreviated New Drug Applications) filed by Barr and Impax seeking FDA approval to market and sell generic versions of Shire’s 5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg, 25 mg and 30 mg ADDERALL XR^® products. The ‘768 patent issued to Shire on July 5, 2005.

The present case should not affect the existing litigation in the Southern District of New York between Shire and Barr involving U.S. Patents Nos. 6,322,819 (‘819) and 6,605,300 (‘300), which is scheduled to go to trial in January 2006. Likewise, the new case against Impax should not affect the ongoing litigation between Shire and Impax in the District Court of Delaware, also involving the ‘819 and ‘300 patents, which is scheduled to go to trial on February 23, 2006.

ADDERALL XR^® is Shire’s leading Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (“ADHD”) medicine.

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
Media	Jessica Mann (Rest of the World)	+	44 1256 894 280
	Matthew Cabrey (North America)	+	1 484 595 8248

Registered in England 2883758 Registered Office as above

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 and marketing products in the areas of central nervous system (CNS), gastrointestinal (GI), renal diseases and human genetic therapies. 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.

"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 dates of MTS (METHYPATCH) (ADHD), SPD503 (ADHD), SPD465 (ADHD), SPD476 (ulcerative colitis), I2S (iduronate-2-sulfatase) (Hunter syndrome), and NRP104 (ADHD), including its scheduling classification by the Drug Enforcement Agency in the United States, Shire’s ability to benefit from its acquisition of TKT, Shire's ability to secure new products for commercialization and/or development and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in Shire's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year to December 31, 2004.