Shire Launches Educational Resource for People Living with Diabetes and Their Caregivers

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPG) has recently launched a new educational resource for people with diabetes and their caregivers as part of its HealTogether national awareness program. HealTogether.com is an online community designed to increase awareness and education of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) and help patients better understand that DFUs should be treated immediately.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/62794-shire-launches-educational-resource-for-diabetes-and-caregivers

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130807/MM57745 )

With numerous pages of educational content related to diabetes and diabetes-related complications, including an animation that simplifies the complexity of DFUs, downloadable support material that helps patients speak about their DFU with their healthcare provider, and a tool to assist in the location of specialists for treatment, HealTogether.com is a convenient resource for anyone impacted by diabetic foot ulcers. The website also includes a questionnaire to help determine who is at risk for a DFU and videos of patients who are being treated for their DFUs.

"Diabetic foot sores, or ulcers, are arguably one of the most common complications of diabetes with 25% of people with diabetes experiencing a DFU in their lifetime," said Dr. Lee C. Rogers, D.P.M. co-medical director of the Amputation Prevention Center at Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys, Calif. "Because an untreated DFU can become chronic and lead to a serious complication, such as amputation, we want to provide as much education as possible to avoid this outcome and help patients understand that they're not alone- there is help and support available."

HealTogether.com is the foundation of Shire's nationwide HealTogether program which is dedicated to promoting proper foot care for people with diabetes, educating individuals about DFUs, and encouraging those with non-healing DFUs to talk to their doctors about seeing a wound care specialist.

About Diabetic Foot Ulcers (DFUs)

Diabetic foot ulcers are wounds that can develop on the feet of people with diabetes. They are often difficult to heal and may become chronic in nature.

There are several reasons that wounds may not heal, but one major reason may be that over time high blood sugar levels can injure blood vessels, which may result in decreased blood flow to the wound.^[i] 

DFUs are a common complication in patients with diabetes. Among people with diabetes, up to 25% experience a DFU in their lifetime^[ii] and the annual incidence is approximately 3.4%^[iii],[iv]

NOTES TO EDITORS

Shire enables people with life-altering conditions to lead better lives.

Our strategy is to focus on developing and marketing innovative specialty medicines to meet significant unmet patient needs.

We provide treatments in Neuroscience, Rare Diseases, Gastrointestinal, Internal Medicine and Regenerative Medicine and we are developing treatments for symptomatic conditions treated by specialist physicians in other targeted therapeutic areas.

www.shire.com

FORWARD - LOOKING STATEMENTS - "SAFE HARBOR" STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995

Statements included in this announcement that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. 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 adversely affected. The risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, that:

• Shire's products may not be a commercial success;
• revenues from ADDERALL XR are subject to generic erosion;
• the failure to obtain and maintain reimbursement, or an adequate level of reimbursement, by third-party payors in a timely manner for Shire's products may impact future revenues and earnings;
• Shire relies on a single source for manufacture of certain of its products and a disruption to the supply chain for those products may result in Shire being unable to continue marketing or developing a product or may result in Shire being unable to do so on a commercially viable basis;
• Shire uses third party manufacturers to manufacture many of its products and is reliant upon third party contractors for certain goods and services, and any inability of these third party manufacturers to manufacture products, or any failure of these third party contractors to provide these goods and services, in each case in accordance with its respective contractual obligations, could adversely affect Shire's ability to manage its manufacturing processes or to operate its business;
• the development, approval and manufacturing of Shire's products is subject to extensive oversight by various regulatory agencies and regulatory approvals or interventions associated with changes to manufacturing sites, ingredients or manufacturing processes could lead to significant delays, increase in operating costs, lost product sales, an interruption of research activities or the delay of new product launches;
• the actions of certain customers could affect Shire 's ability to sell or market products profitably and fluctuations in buying or distribution patterns by such customers could adversely impact Shire's revenues, financial conditions or results of operations;
• investigations or enforcement action by regulatory authorities or law enforcement agencies relating to Shire's activities in the highly regulated markets in which it operates may result in the distraction of senior management, significant legal costs and the payment of substantial compensation or fines;
• adverse outcomes in legal matters and other disputes, including Shire's ability to obtain, maintain, enforce and defend patents and other intellectual property rights required for its business, could have a material adverse effect on Shire's revenues, financial condition or results of operations;

and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in Shire's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K.

[i] American Diabetes Association. Living with diabetes: other specialists. http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/who-is-on-your-healthcare-team/other-specialists.html. Accessed October 29, 2012.

[ii] Singh N, Armstrong DG, Lipsky BA. Preventing foot ulcers in patients with diabetes. J Amer Med Assoc. 2005;293:217-228.

[iii] Lavery LA, Armstrong DG, Wunderlich RP, Tredwell J, Boulton AJ. Diabetic foot syndrome: evaluating the prevalence and incidence of foot pathology in Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic whites from a diabetes disease management cohort. Diabetes Care. 2003;26:1435-1438.

[iv] American Diabetes Association. Living with diabetes: foot care. http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/foot-complications/foot-care.html. Accessed January 27, 2013.

SOURCE Shire plc