Shire plc was a UK-founded Jersey-registered specialty biopharmaceutical company. Originating in the United Kingdom with an operational base in the United States, its brands and products included Vyvanse, Lialda, and Adderall XR. Shire was acquired by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company on 8 January 2019. Shire was a global biotechnology company focused on serving people with rare diseases and other highly specialized conditions. The company's products were available in more than 100 countries across core therapeutic areas including Hematology, Immunology, Neuroscience, Lysosomal Storage Disorders, Gastrointestinal / Internal Medicine / Endocrine and Hereditary Angioedema; a growing franchise in Oncology; and an emerging, innovative pipeline in Ophthalmics. The original corporate headquarters was located in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England. Main offices are located in Dublin, Ireland, the United States in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Chicago, Illinois, and in Zug, Switzerland. In addition, Shire owns manufacturing sites in Lexington, Massachusetts, and Social Circle, Georgia. Shire's headquarters in Lexington, Massachusetts, will be integrated with Takeda's new U.S. headquarters, which is being relocated from Deerfield, Illinois, to the Boston area. History Early history Shire was founded in 1986 in the UK by five entrepreneurs: Harry Stratford, Dennis Stephens, Peter Moriarty, Geoff Hall and Dr Jim Murray. Under the management of Rolf Stahel Shire was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1996. Shire's initial products were calcium supplements (Calcichew-D3) for patients seeking to treat or prevent osteoporosis. In 1997 the company acquired Pharmavene for £105 million in order to access Pharmavene's drug delivery methods. Later in the same year Shire acquired Richwood Pharmaceutical Company, forming Shire-Richwood Inc. 2000 to 2009 In 2001 the company acquired Biochem Canada. Shire's next acquisition didn't come until 2005 when it acquired Transkaryotic Therapeutics and two years later – in 2007 – New River Pharmaceuticals Inc, for a then company record of $2.6 billion. With the purchase of New River, Shire gained access and ownership of Vyvanse. A year later the company acquired the German company Jerini, for $521 million. Jerini focused on treating hereditary angioedema. In 2008, in reaction to new taxation measures announced by the UK government in the treatment of royalties on patents, the company moved its tax domicile to Dublin, Ireland. 2010 onwards 2010 saw a change in company strategy, with the company seeking to expand through mergers and acquisitions - culminating in the company becoming one of the most acquisitive in the industry. In 2010 the company acquired Movetis,