Shire May Split Up – But Punting On Bigger Decisions For Now

Following through on a strategy it first began talking about last August, Shire PLC announced Jan. 8 that it is creating "two distinct divisions" within the company – one focused on rare diseases, the other on neuroscience – and will begin reporting the operational metrics of each unit starting with its first quarter earnings report.

Intentionally left up in the air is whether Shire is thinking about a spinout or an initial public offering for the smaller neuroscience unit, comprised mainly of its ADHD franchise,...