DUBLIN, December 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPG) announces that it has
extended the expiration of its previously announced tender offer by
a wholly owned subsidiary of Shire for all of the outstanding
common shares of ViroPharma (NASDAQ: VPHM) until midnight,
New York City time, on
Thursday, January 9, 2014 (one minute
after 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on January 9, 2014). The tender offer had
previously been scheduled to expire at 6:00
p.m., New York City time,
on Thursday, December 26,
2013. All of the other terms and conditions of the tender
offer remain unchanged.
As of 6:00 p.m. on December 26, 2013, approximately 50,217,259
common shares of ViroPharma (excluding 2,128,506 common shares of
ViroPharma guaranteed to be delivered within the next three NASDAQ
trading days) had been validly tendered and not withdrawn pursuant
to the tender offer, representing approximately 76 percent of the
outstanding common shares of ViroPharma.
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.
http://www.shire.com
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND WHERE TO FIND IT
This announcement is for informational purposes only and does
not constitute an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer
to sell ViroPharma common stock. The offer to buy ViroPharma common
stock is being made pursuant to a tender offer statement (including
the offer to purchase, letter of transmittal and other related
tender offer materials) filed by Shire Pharmaceutical Holdings
Ireland Limited (SPHIL) and a subsidiary of SPHIL with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on November 25, 2013. In addition, on November 25, 2013, ViroPharma filed with the SEC
a solicitation/recommendation statement on Schedule 14D-9 with
respect to the tender offer. Investors and security holders
are urged to read both the tender offer statement and the
solicitation/recommendation statement as they contain important
information, including the terms and conditions of the tender
offer, that should be read carefully before any decision is made
with respect to the tender offer. Investors and security holders
may obtain a free copy of these materials and other documents filed
by SPHIL and ViroPharma with the SEC at the website maintained by
the SEC at http://www.sec.gov/. The tender offer statement and
related materials, and the solicitation/recommendation statement,
may also be obtained for free by contacting the information agent
for the offer, MacKenzie Partners, Inc., at (212) 929-5500 or
toll-free at (800) 322-2885.
Copies of these materials and any documentation relating to the
tender offer are not being, and must not be, directly or
indirectly, mailed or otherwise forwarded, distributed or sent in,
into or from any jurisdiction where to do so would be unlawful.
FORWARD - LOOKING STATEMENTS
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 proposed acquisition of ViroPharma may not be
consummated due to the occurrence of an event, change or other
circumstances that gives rise to the termination of the merger
agreement;
- a governmental or regulatory approval required for the proposed
acquisition of ViroPharma may not obtained, or may be obtained
subject to conditions that are not anticipated, or another
condition to the closing of the proposed acquisition may not be
satisfied;
- ViroPharma may be unable to retain and hire key personnel
and/or maintain its relationships with customers, suppliers and
other business partners pending the consummation of the proposed
acquisition by Shire, or ViroPharma's business may be disrupted by
the proposed acquisition, including increased costs and diversion
of management time and resources; and
- difficulties in integrating ViroPharma into Shire may lead to
the combined company not being able to realize the expected
operating efficiencies, cost savings, revenue enhancements,
synergies or other benefits at the time anticipated or at all;
and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in
Shire's or ViroPharma's filings with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission, including their respective most recent Annual
Reports on Form 10-K.
For further information please
contact:
Investor Relations
Eric
Rojas, erojas@shire.com, +1-781-482-0999
Sarah Elton-Farr,
seltonfarr@shire.com, +44-1256-894157
Media
Jessica Mann, jmann@shire.com,
+44-1256-894-280
Gwen Fisher, gfisher@shire.com,
+1-484-595-9836
SOURCE Shire plc
