BASINGSTOKE, England, June 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

- New international program to recognise unsung heroes dedicated to helping others

A new international awards program intended to recognise everyday people who serve as carers has been launched by Shire Pharmaceuticals, the global specialty biopharmaceutical company.  The Shire BRAVE Awards is the first and only awards initiative of its kind and is designed to recognise the courage and dedication of non-professional carers, honouring everyday heroes who provide regular, consistent care of another person.  

"The BRAVE Awards honour some of the bravest people in the world - those who give their time, support and compassion to care for a relative, neighbour or friend," said Angus Russell, Shire Chief Executive Officer. "At Shire, we believe that carers are often the unsung heroes and we hope the BRAVE Awards will draw attention to the important and sometimes undervalued role that mums, dads, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, friends, neighbours or frankly anyone in the community can play in the life of others around the world."

Nominations for the Shire BRAVE Awards are being accepted through the official website at http://www.ShireBRAVEawards.com between June 15 and August 31, 2011 and winners will be announced in November 2011.  The submission process is straightforward: consider a carer who you believe deserves recognition; visit the website to learn more; and complete the online nomination form, which requires nominators to share the story of a carer believed to be worthy of receiving a Shire BRAVE Award.  

A carer is defined by the Shire BRAVE Awards as an individual who is providing regular, consistent care for another person.  The carer can be a relative, neighbour, or friend who gives their time, support, and compassion regularly, helping another person who is not able to care for themselves. The caregiver cannot be a professional healthcare provider and cannot be compensated in any formal way through their employment as a caregiver. Doctors, nurses, hospital staff and other healthcare workers are not eligible.  Nominees must be age 18 or older as of August 31, 2011.  In 2011, its first year, the Shire BRAVE Awards are open to eligible nominees in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

A Selection Committee consisting of Shire employees and non-Shire representatives will choose the finalists.  Shire's 4,700 employees across the world will then be invited to select up to ten (10) winners from the pool of eligible finalists through an online voting system, and each winner will receive $10,000 USD or local currency equivalent.  

The Shire BRAVE Awards are presented in the spirit of Shire's BRAVE culture, which fosters an environment that encourages its employees and partners to act with integrity; create innovative solutions that make a difference; act on the needs of others; strive to be better everyday; and to exemplify trust and openness through teamwork.  

There are no restrictions on the type of care being provided, and the care recipient need not be prescribed a Shire medicine or treatment.  Nominations will be treated in accordance with Shire's privacy policy posted on http://www.ShireBRAVEawards.com

Notes to editors

About the Shire BRAVE Awards

The Shire BRAVE Awards is an international program created by Shire to honour the courage and dedication of individual carers. For the Shire Brave Awards, a caregiver is defined as an individual who is providing regular, consistent care for another person(s).  The caregiver cannot be a professional healthcare provider and cannot be compensated in any formal way through their efforts as a caregiver.  The caregiver can be a relative, neighbour, or friend who gives their time, support, and compassion regularly, helping another person(s) who is (partly or wholly) unable to care for themselves due to health issues, injury, or other extenuating circumstance.  Nominations will be accepted between June 15, 2011 and August 31, 2011 and winners will be announced in November 2011.  For further information on the Shire BRAVE Awards, including official rules, legal disclosures, and privacy policy, please visit http://www.ShireBRAVEAwards.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 (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY) 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: http://www.shire.com.

SOURCE Shire plc