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 16, 2009

Shire plc

________________________________________________________________________________

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Jersey, Channel Islands

________________________________________________________________________________

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)

0-29630                                                  98-0601486

(Commission File Number)                (IRS Employer Identification No.)

5 Riverwalk, Citywest Business Campus, Dublin

24, Republic of Ireland

________________________________________________________________________________

(Address of principal executive offices)                              (Zip code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code               +353 1 429 7700

________________________________________________________________________________

(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.):

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

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

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

[  ]  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.f13e-4(c))

Item 8.01.  Other Events

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

Item 9.01.  Financial Statements and Exhibits

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

99.01              Press Release dated March 16, 2009

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 PLC
By:	/s/ A C Russell
	Name:	Angus Russell
	Title:	Chief Executive Officer

Dated: March 16, 2009

EXHIBIT INDEX
Number	Description
99.01	Press Release dated March 16, 2009

EX-99.1

 

Exhibit 99.1
 

Press Release
www.shire.com

Shire files lawsuit against Barr Laboratories for infringement of FOSRENOL® (lanthanum carbonate) patents

16 March 2009 – Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY) announces that it has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York against Barr Laboratories, Inc. (“Barr”) for infringement of three of Shire’s patents: U.S. Patent No. 5,968,976 (“‘976 Patent”);U.S. Patent No. 7,381,428 (“’428”); and U.S. Patent No. 7,465,465 (“’465”).

The lawsuit was filed in response to an ANDA (Abbreviated New Drug Applications) filed by Barr seeking FDA approval to market and sell generic versions of Shire’s 500 mg, 750 mg, and 1 g FOSRENOL® (Lanthanum Carbonate) products.

Under the Hatch-Waxman Act, because Shire filed its patent infringement lawsuit within 45 days of receiving Barr’s Paragraph IV notification letter, the FDA must refrain from approving Barr's ANDA for 30 months, or until a district court decision finding that the patents are invalid or not infringed, whichever occurs earlier. The stay on generic approval will expire on April 26, 2012 unless terminated earlier.

Shire is confident in its intellectual property portfolio protecting FOSRENOL®, and will enforce its patents against infringers to the fullest extent allowed by law.

For further information please contact:

Investor Relations	Cléa Rosenfeld (Rest of the World)	+44 1256 894 160
	Eric Rojas (North America)	+1 617 551 9715
Media	Jessica Mann (Rest of the World)	+44 1256 894 280
	Matthew Cabrey (Specialty Pharma)	+1 484 595 8248

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 hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), human genetic therapies (HGT) and gastrointestinal (GI) diseases as well as opportunities in other therapeutic areas to the extent they arise through acquisitions.  Shire’s in-licensing, merger and acquisition efforts are focused on products in specialist markets with strong intellectual property protection and global rights.  Shire believes that a carefully selected and balanced portfolio of products with strategically aligned and relatively small-scale sales forces will deliver strong results.

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

Registered in Jersey, No. 99854, 22 Grenville Street, St Helier, Jersey JE4 8PX

"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, the Company’s results could be materially adversely affected. The risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks associated with: the inherent uncertainty of research, development, approval, reimbursement, manufacturing and commercialization of the Company’s Specialty Pharmaceutical and Human Genetic Therapies products, as well as the ability to secure and integrate new products for commercialization and/or development; government regulation of the Company’s products; the Company’s ability to manufacture its products in sufficient quantities to meet demand; the impact of competitive therapies on the Company’s products; the Company’s ability to register, maintain and enforce patents and other intellectual property rights relating to its products; the Company’s ability to obtain and maintain government and other third-party reimbursement for its products; and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.