Katie Lee Joel to Conduct Free, Hands-On, Holiday Cooking Demonstration for Local Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease

HOUSTON (Map) - HOUSTON, Dec. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Celebrity chef Katie Lee Joel and Shire Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: SHPGY), the global biopharmaceutical company, today announced that Katie will be conducting a free cooking demonstration at the Doubletree Hotel Houston Downtown from 1-3 PM tomorrow, Saturday, December 8th, for local patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and their families.

During the demonstration, Katie will demonstrate to patients and their family members how to prepare recipes from Shire's 2007 edition of the Kidney Friendly Comfort Foods cookbook. Additionally, attendees will be able to sample some of Katie's recipes, as well as receive a complimentary copy of the new cookbook, which will be available for free after the event, by visiting www.FOSRENOL.com or by calling (866) 896-6152.

Kidney disease is an issue close to Katie's heart because her grandfather was a dialysis patient for several years. Although the family was worried about his health, her grandfather was more concerned with the restrictions the condition put on his diet. To help keep him healthy and happy, Katie and her grandmother adapted many of their family's traditional recipes so that Katie's grandfather and the rest of the family could still eat the meals that they loved.

"I know how difficult managing kidney disease can be, which is why I was so excited to contribute my recipes to Shire's second volume of the Kidney Friendly Comfort Foods cookbook," said Katie. "It's especially important for CKD patients to have holiday recipes that meet their dietary needs, so that they don't feel left out during the customary family meals around this time of year. Through the cookbook and tomorrow's demonstration, I want to show patients that cooking kidney- and diabetes-friendly food is not a sentence to boring food, and that these tasty meals can be enjoyed by the entire family year round."

Katie will be joined tomorrow by MAR Catering's Corporate Executive Chef Rufino Rengifo and renal dietitian and certified diabetes educator Marianne Hutton, who helped develop Kidney Friendly Comfort Foods, Volume II. In addition to demonstrating recipes from the cookbook, Katie and Rufino will show attendees how to cook a kidney-friendly version of a holiday recipe developed by Rufino, while Marianne will provide helpful dietary tips.

"I have had previous experience modifying recipes for individuals with certain health conditions, and was excited to work with Katie and Shire on this kidney-friendly cooking demonstration," said Rufino. "Although I adjusted my recipe for turkey breast served with cranberry sauce to specifically address CKD patients' dietary requirements, the recipe remains both delicious and appropriate for the holiday season."

Chronic kidney disease is a growing problem in the United States. In fact, approximately 20 million adult Americans have some form of CKD and almost 500,000 of these people have developed the most advanced form of kidney disease, CKD Stage 5, and currently are receiving dialysis. Almost half of newly diagnosed kidney patients on dialysis developed kidney disease because of diabetes.

It is important for people with CKD Stage 5 to follow a low phosphorus diet because most dialysis patients will develop hyperphosphatemia (high serum phosphorus levels in the blood). Excess phosphorus in the blood can be associated with serious consequences, including mineral deposits in the heart and blood vessels, bone disease and even death. Because phosphorus is found in so many foods, patients often cannot reach target blood phosphorus levels through dietary restriction and dialysis alone, and they generally treat hyperphosphatemia by taking phosphate binders, such as FOSRENOL(R) (lanthanum carbonate), at meals. Phosphate binders "soak up" phosphorus in the gastrointestinal tract before it can be absorbed into the bloodstream, thereby helping patients maintain target blood phosphorus levels.

"We know the holidays can make it even more difficult for CKD Stage 5 patients with hyperphosphatemia to comply with their prescribed dialysis, diet, and phosphate binder treatment. The dietary tips that will be discussed at tomorrow's event, coupled with resources such as the cookbook, can help patients overcome the challenges they face managing their disease everyday," said Joseph Schlitz, vice president, US Renal Commercial Operations, Shire Pharmaceuticals. "Combining these resources with FOSRENOL, an effective phosphate binder with a well-established safety profile, provides patients with the tools they need to achieve and maintain target phosphate levels during the holidays and all year round."

Hyperphosphatemia is difficult to treat because it requires patients to follow a special diet, and comply with a prescribed binder therapy regimen that may require up to 12 pills a day, while attending dialysis sessions. However, patients with hyperphosphatemia may be able to reduce their pill burden to as few as one tablet with each meal with treatments such as FOSRENOL. (Dosing based on as few as three tablets per day. Number of meals per day may vary. To achieve certain doses, additional tablets may be required.)

To obtain your free copy of the 2007 Kidney Friendly Comfort Foods, Volume II: Eating Well for Chronic Kidney Disease Patients, Including Those With Diabetes cookbook, please visit www.FOSRENOL.com or call (866) 896-6152.

About Katie Lee Joel

Katie is currently writing her first cookbook, to be published next year by Simon and Schuster. The book is a compilation of updated classics from her archive of family recipes using the best seasonal ingredients. Katie regularly appears on Extra as a special correspondent, covering everything from red carpet events to food to fashion. Katie is a contributing editor to Gotham magazine, and her culinary and lifestyle column, Katie's Kitchen, is published weekly in its sister magazine, Hamptons.

Katie was the first season host of Bravo's hit "Top Chef," a reality competition series for the culinary arts. In July 2005, with partner Aleishall Girard, Katie co-created the Web site www.oliveandpeach.com, a site dedicated to food and the importance of "conscious consumption." She resides in the New York area with her husband, musician Billy Joel.

FOSRENOL

FOSRENOL is indicated to reduce serum phosphate in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) -- also known as CKD Stage 5.

FOSRENOL is an effective, non-calcium, phosphate binder that reduces high phosphorus levels in ESRD patients. FOSRENOL is formulated as an easy-to-use, unflavored, chewable tablet that can be taken without water, an important consideration for ESRD patients who must restrict their fluid intake.

FOSRENOL is available in a broad range of dosage strengths consisting of 500-milligram (mg), 750-mg, and 1-g tablets. Patients taking FOSRENOL can achieve serum phosphorus target levels with as few as three tablets per day. (Dosing based on three meals per day. Number of meals per day may vary. To achieve certain doses, additional tablets may be required.)

FOSRENOL has a high affinity for phosphate and works by binding to dietary phosphorus in the gastrointestinal tract. Once bound, the FOSRENOL/phosphorus complex cannot pass into the bloodstream and is eliminated from the body, thereby decreasing mean serum phosphorus levels.

To date, FOSRENOL has been clinically tested in more than 5,200 patients globally, with nearly 1,000 of these patients having been followed for more than one year. In addition, more than 87,000 patients have been prescribed FOSRENOL in the US alone. FOSRENOL has the most extensive long-term safety data package of any phosphate binder and is generally well tolerated. Trials involving patients treated with FOSRENOL showed sustained serum phosphorus reduction in a majority of patients, with some patients being followed over a six-year duration.

FOSRENOL is now available in 23 countries, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and the UK, and continues to be launched in new markets around the world.

Important Safety Information

The most common adverse events were gastrointestinal, such as nausea and vomiting, and generally abated over time with continued dosing. The most common side effects leading to discontinuation in clinical trials were gastrointestinal events (nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea). Other side effects reported in trials included dialysis graft complications, headache, abdominal pain, and hypotension. Although studies were not designed to detect differences in risk of fracture and mortality, there were no differences demonstrated in patients treated with FOSRENOL compared to alternative therapy for up to three years. The duration of treatment exposure and time of observation in the clinical program were too short to conclude that FOSRENOL does not affect the risk of fracture or mortality beyond three years. While lanthanum has been shown to accumulate in the GI tract, liver, and bone in animals, the clinical significance in humans is unknown. Patients with acute peptic ulcer, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, or bowel obstruction were not included in FOSRENOL clinical studies. Caution should be used in patients with these conditions. FOSRENOL should not be taken by patients who are nursing or pregnant. FOSRENOL should not be taken by patients who are under 18 years of age.

For Full Prescribing Information on FOSRENOL, please visit www.fosrenol.com.

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 and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), human genetic therapies (HGT), gastrointestinal (GI) and renal diseases. The structure is sufficiently flexible to allow Shire to target new therapeutic areas to the extent opportunities arise through acquisitions. Shire's in-licensing, merger and acquisition efforts are focused on products in niche markets with strong intellectual property protection either in the US or Europe. Shire believes that a carefully selected 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, 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 including, but not limited to, the successful development of JUVISTA(R) (Human TGFa3) and GA-GCB (velaglucerase alfa); manufacturing and commercialization including, but not limited to, the launch and establishment in the market of VYVANSE(TM) (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder ("ADHD")); the impact of competitive products including, but not limited to, the impact of those on Shire's ADHD franchise; patents including, but not limited to, legal challenges relating to Shire's ADHD franchise; government regulation and approval including, but not limited to, the expected product approval date of INTUNIV(TM) (guanfacine extended release) (ADHD); Shire's ability to secure new products for commercialization and/or development; and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in Shire plc's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, particularly Shire plc's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006.