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): December 2, 2002


                         Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc
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             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


                                England and Wales
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                 (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
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(Address of principal executive offices)                    (Zip code)

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



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          (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 incorporated by reference herein.

Item 7. Financial Statements and Exhibits

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

         99.1      Press Release dated December 2, 2002








                                    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.

Dated:    December 2, 2002      SHIRE PHARMACEUTICALS GROUP PLC



                                By: /s/ Angus Charles Russell
                                    --------------------------------------------
                                    Name:  Angus Charles Russell
                                    Title:  Group Finance Director







                                  EXHIBIT INDEX


Number   Description

99.1     Press Release dated December 2, 2002

EX-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


2 December 2002
8:00 am (Eastern Time)  1:00 pm (UK Time)


              SHIRE TO INVEST IN VACCINE RESEARCH CENTRE IN CANADA


2 December 2002, Basingstoke, UK - Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc (LSE: SHP,
NASDAQ: SHPGY, TSX: SHQ) announces that it will invest approximately US $18.5
million* in the construction of a new global vaccine research centre in Canada.
This centre will support the Company's biologics business and will be located at
Shire's current site in Laval, Quebec. The project will begin immediately with
completion planned for mid-year 2004.

Richard de Souza, Shire Director of International, said: "This investment
decision serves three purposes. It recognises the significant progress made by
our biologics research team in bringing forward candidate projects for clinical
development and it reinforces our commitment towards building presence in the
important vaccines market. Our decision also serves to underpin Shire's
strategic aim of becoming an even more significant player in the global vaccine
market which is expected to grow from US $5 billion annual sales to more than US
$10 billion sales within the next five years."

Shire's decision to build the new vaccine research centre in Laval, Quebec, is
in line with its strategy of further developing this area of its business. The
Company recently announced an alliance with Berna Biotech through which Shire
will manufacture and supply its FLUVIRAL(R) influenza vaccine to Berna Biotech
for sale in international territories excluding Europe and North America. In
return, Berna Biotech will manufacture and supply its hepatitis B vaccines,
Hepavax Gene** and Bio-Hep B** and make them available to Shire for exclusive
sale in Europe. Shire also already has a marketing partnership with Baxter,
which involves the Company's meningitis C vaccine in Canada.

Shire Biologics' current commercial products are FLUVIRAL(R), an influenza
vaccine, PACIS(R) for superficial bladder cancer and NEISVAC-C*** for meningitis
C infection. Shire Biologics currently provides 50% of Canada's annual influenza
vaccine needs. It has also received a 10-year mandate from the Government of
Canada to assure a state of readiness in the case of an influenza pandemic and
provide influenza vaccine for all Canadians in such an event.

Innovative Shire vaccine products under development include SPD 703 for the
prevention of pneumococcal meningitis and otitis media in young children and
pneumonia and invasive diseases in adults and SPD 704 for the prevention of
meningococcal meningitis and invasive diseases in children.

Shire currently sponsors a research team at the Vaccine Research Unit of the
Laval University Hospital Centre in Ste-Foy, Quebec. With the establishment of
this vaccine research centre, it will be able to pursue its objective of growing
its team over time.




Shire's Laval site is already home to its therapeutic research centre and,
following this addition, will be able to house both therapeutic and biologics
researchers under one roof. Among the factors that also influenced the choice of
the site was the region's position as a major hub of biopharmaceutical activity
in Canada and the presence of several major university centres providing a
scientific community of sufficient critical mass to allow for future recruitment
and growth.



*        Under the TPC (Technology Partnerships Canada) agreement, Shire is
         eligible for a government investment of approximately US $ 3.5 million
**       Trademarks of Berna Biotech
***      NeisVac-C is a trademark of Baxter International Inc.

                                    - ENDS -


For further information please contact:




Global  (outside US & Canada)                                     US & Canada

                                                                                        
Clea Rosenfeld -                          +44 1256 894 221        Gordon Ngan - Investor         +1 450 978 7938
Investor Relations                                                              Relations

Jessica Mann - Media                      +44 1256 894 160        Michele Roy - Media            +1 450 978 7938



Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc

Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc (Shire) is a rapidly growing international
specialty pharmaceutical company with a strategic focus on four therapeutic
areas - central nervous system disorders (CNS), gastro intestinal (GI), oncology
and anti-infectives. Shire also has two platform technologies: advanced drug
delivery and biologics. Shire's core strategy is based on research and
development combined with in-licensing and a focus on eight key pharmaceutical
markets.

Shire Biologics
Shire Biologics has a global mandate for vaccines and other biologics and
operates in Canada from facilities in Laval and Sainte-Foy and in the United
States from Northborough, Massachusetts. It is active in the research,
development, manufacturing, sales and marketing of biologics.

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


THE "SAFE HARBOUR" STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT
OF 1995. The statements made in this press release 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
that such risks or uncertainties materialise, 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 and commercialisation, the impact of competitive products,
including but not limited to the impact of same on Shire's ADHD franchise of
patents, government regulation and approval, including but not limited to the
expected approval date of lanthanum carbonate (FOSRENOL/FOSNOL) and other risks
and uncertainties detailed from time to time in periodic reports produced by
Shire, including the Annual Report filed on Form 10K by Shire with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.