Celebrity Designer Ty Pennington to Host 10th Annual 'ADHD Experts on Call' Program

Celebrity Designer Ty Pennington to Host 10th Annual 'ADHD Experts on Call' Program

ADHD Experts to Answer Questions about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

NEW YORK, Sept. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The 10th annual 'ADHD Experts on Call' program will take place on Wednesday, September 17, 2008, from 8 a.m. to midnight EDT to provide families and caregivers of patients with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), as well as adults with ADHD, with the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about ADHD from experts in the field. Celebrity designer Ty Pennington, who was diagnosed with ADHD as a teenager, is partnering with Shire, the ADHD Support Company, to host the event and talk about his experience living with the disorder.

During the program, which takes place amidst ADHD Awareness Week, experts will answer questions via the toll-free telephone hotline, 1-888-ASK-ADHD, and through live online chats at www.ADHDExpertsOnCall.com. The confidential one-on-one hotline and online chats will provide access to English and Spanish-speaking experts, including physicians, nurses, educators and patient advocates who can help educate the public about ADHD.

"I am psyched to host this year's 'ADHD Experts on Call' event," said Ty Pennington, host of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition(TM). "As an adult with ADHD, I know how important it is to be able to focus and get work done each day. After I was diagnosed and started treatment for my ADHD symptoms, I was able to hold steady jobs in the construction and graphic design businesses, which ultimately led to me hosting ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

Over the last nine years, the 'ADHD Experts on Call' program has fielded tens of thousands of inquiries, helping people affected by ADHD better understand the disorder. This program also serves as a resource for those affected by ADHD, providing access to an expert to discuss tips and strategies for managing their ADHD and staying organized during today's increasingly busy day. It is also an opportunity for people to learn which symptoms are commonly associated with ADHD. Participants are also encouraged to speak with their physician if they believe ADHD is affecting their daily life.

While the experts participating in 'ADHD Experts on Call' cannot provide specific medical advice or recommend a particular course of action, they can provide helpful information about:

-- How to recognize ADHD symptoms in children and adults;

-- The potential for ADHD to run in families and why adults sometimes recognize their personal symptoms of ADHD only after their child is diagnosed;

-- The impact of ADHD at work, at school, at home and in relationships with family and friends;

-- Tips for how to achieve daily successes in school, at work and during your busy day;

-- Ideas to help adults with ADHD to better focus at work or at home, remember meetings or appointments and be able to manage and finish projects;

-- How parents can approach teachers about their child's ADHD-related educational needs;

-- Common myths and misconceptions about ADHD.

"'ADHD Experts on Call' is a terrific resource for people to learn about ADHD and how the disorder impacts people of all ages," said David Goodman, M.D., director of the Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Center of Maryland and assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "Many people think ADHD is something you outgrow, however, up to 65 percent of children with ADHD may still exhibit the core symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity into adulthood, although they may present differently in these two age groups. For example, while children with ADHD may seem easily distracted or have difficulty sitting still, adults may have ADHD symptoms that appear as having difficulty finishing tasks or seeming impatient. 'ADHD Experts on Call' aims to increase awareness of this impairing disorder and provide educational support to help people with ADHD succeed both at work or school and at home."

About ADHD

ADHD is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. Approximately 7.8 percent of all school-aged children, or about 4.4 million U.S. children aged 4 to 17 years, have been diagnosed with ADHD at some point in their lives, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The disorder is also estimated to affect 4.4 percent of U.S. adults aged 18-44 based on results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, a nationally representative household survey, which used a lay-administered diagnostic interview to access a wide range of DSM-IV disorders. When this percentage is extrapolated to the full U.S. population, approximately 9.8 million adults are believed to have ADHD. ADHD is a neurobiological disorder that manifests as a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequent and severe than is typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development. To be properly diagnosed with ADHD, a child needs to demonstrate at least six of nine symptoms of inattention; and/or at least six of nine symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity; the onset of which appears before age 7 years; that some impairment from the symptoms is present in two or more settings (e.g., at school and home); that the symptoms continue for at least six months; and that there is clinically significant impairment in social, academic, or occupational functioning and the symptoms cannot be better explained by another psychiatric disorder.

Although there is no "cure" for ADHD, there are accepted treatments that specifically target its symptoms. The most common standard treatments include educational approaches, psychological, or behavioral modification, and medication.

About VYVANSE(R)

Vyvanse is indicated for the treatment of ADHD. Efficacy based on two controlled trials in children aged 6 to 12 and one controlled trial in adults.

Tell the doctor about any heart conditions, including structural abnormalities, that you, your child, or a family member, may have. Inform the doctor immediately if you or your child develops symptoms that suggest heart problems, such as chest pain or fainting.

Vyvanse should not be taken if you or your child has advanced disease of the blood vessels (arteriosclerosis); symptomatic heart disease; moderate to severe high blood pressure; overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism); known allergy or unusual reactions to drugs called sympathomimetic amines (for example, pseudoephedrine); seizures; glaucoma; a history of problems with alcohol or drugs; agitated states; taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) within the last 14 days.

Tell the doctor before taking Vyvanse if you or your child is being treated for or has symptoms of depression (sadness, worthlessness, or hopelessness) or bipolar disorder; has abnormal thought or visions, hears abnormal sounds, or has been diagnosed with psychosis; has had seizures or abnormal EEGs; has or has had high blood pressure; exhibits aggressive behavior or hostility. Tell the doctor immediately if you or your child develops any of these conditions or symptoms while taking Vyvanse.

Abuse of amphetamines may lead to dependence. Misuse of amphetamine may cause sudden death and serious cardiovascular adverse events. These events have also been reported rarely with amphetamine use.

Vyvanse was generally well tolerated in clinical studies. The most common side effects reported in studies of Vyvanse were: children -- decreased appetite, difficulty falling asleep, stomachache, and irritability; adult -- decreased appetite, difficulty falling asleep, and dry mouth.

Aggression, new abnormal thoughts/behaviors, mania, growth suppression, worsening of motion or verbal tics, and Tourette's syndrome have been associated with use of drugs of this type. Tell the doctor if you or your child has blurred vision while taking Vyvanse.

SHIRE LIMITED

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 and 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 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 including, but not limited to, the establishment in the market of VYVANSE(R) (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder ("ADHD")); the impact of competitive products, including, but not limited to, the impact of those on the Company's ADHD franchise; patents, including but not limited to, legal challenges relating to the Company's ADHD franchise; government regulation and approval, including but not limited to the expected product approval date of INTUNIV(TM) (guanfacine extended release) (ADHD); the Company's ability to secure new products for commercialization and/or development; the Company's proposed offer for Jerini AG, including but not limited to, the Company's ability to successfully complete the offer and integrate Jerini AG, as well as realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisition; and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007.

Source: Shire Limited

CONTACT: Alana Brier, +1-212-601-8432, alana.brier@porternovelli.com, or
Lauren Plate, +1-212-601-8188, lauren.plate@porternovelli.com, both of Porter
Novelli for Shire

Web site: http://www.shire.com/
http://www.adhdexpertsoncall.com/

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