Description of Operations	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Nature of Operations [Abstract]
Description of Operations	1. Description of operations Shire plc and its subsidiaries (collectively referred to as either “Shire” or the “Company”) is a leading specialty biopharmaceutical company that focuses on meeting the needs of the specialist physician. The Company has grown through acquisition, completing a series of major mergers or acquisitions that have brought therapeutic, geographic and pipeline growth and diversification. The Company will continue to evaluate companies, products and pipeline opportunities that offer a good strategic fit and enhance shareholder value. Shire's strategic goal is to become the world's leading specialty biopharmaceutical company that focuses on meeting the needs of the specialist physician. Shire focuses its business on attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (“ADHD”), gastrointestinal (“GI”) diseases, human genetic therapies (“HGT”) and regenerative medicine (“RM”) 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.

Description of Operations

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

1. Description of operations

Shire plc and its subsidiaries (collectively referred to as either “Shire” or the “Company”) is a leading specialty biopharmaceutical company that focuses on meeting the needs of the specialist physician.

The Company has grown through acquisition, completing a series of major mergers or acquisitions that have brought therapeutic, geographic and pipeline growth and diversification. The Company will continue to evaluate companies, products and pipeline opportunities that offer a good strategic fit and enhance shareholder value.

Shire's strategic goal is to become the world's leading specialty biopharmaceutical company that focuses on meeting the needs of the specialist physician. Shire focuses its business on attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (“ADHD”), gastrointestinal (“GI”) diseases, human genetic therapies (“HGT”) and regenerative medicine (“RM”) 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.