Calling All Students Diagnosed With ADHD – There’S A Scholarship For You!

Shire launches new initiative to help support educational needs of individuals managing the symptoms of ADHD and going on to higher education 

Students in the United States diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) who are planning to pursue higher education have a new scholarship program opportunity.  The Shire ADHD Scholarship includes a monetary award and a prepaid year of ADHD coaching services provided in partnership with the Edge Foundation to help individuals diagnosed with ADHD making the transition to college, vocational or technical school.

The Shire ADHD Scholarship Program was developed and is being implemented by Shire, a global specialty biopharmaceutical company that focuses, among other areas, on helping those diagnosed with ADHD.  This unique scholarship program is part of Shire’s effort to develop opportunities to help support ADHD patients, their families, and the ADHD community. 

Twenty five one-time scholarships will be awarded on August 9th, 2011.  For information on the scholarship program, including eligibility requirements and the application, visit www.ShireADHDScholarship.com.  The deadline to apply is July 7th, 2011. 

In addition to financial support, Shire recognizes that the transition to higher education can be particularly challenging for students.  That’s why Shire is partnering with The Edge Foundation, a leading national nonprofit organization, to offer ADHD coaching services for each student awarded a Shire ADHD Scholarship. 

ADHD Coaching from The Edge Foundation includes weekly sessions with specially-trained ADHD coaches who are passionate about their work.  The students set weekly goals and action plans to meet those goals and have e-mail and phone support from their coaches to help keep them on track.  This support may be important in the higher education environment where they are living independently, have more free time, and less adult supervision.

The Edge Foundation is a Seattle-based nonprofit organization that offers supplemental treatment for students with ADHD.  Founded by Neil Peterson in 2005, its mission is to help every child, adolescent and young adult with ADHD to fully realize their own potential, personal vision and passion through personal coaching.  For more information on the Edge Foundation, please visit the company’s website:  www.edgefoundation.org.

Shire’s ADHD Scholarship Program is part of Shire’s comprehensive approach centered on putting patients first by offering treatments and support designed to help patients, parents, advocates and others providing care for people diagnosed with ADHD. 

For further information please contact:

Notes to editors

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.

"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.