Shire Plc reported a 20% increase in first-quarter earnings per share as doctors prescribed more Vyvanse, a pill for ADHD that it expects will bring in more than $1bn (€762m) this year.

A near-$30 billion (€22.8bn) bid for Shire could emerge as the standout deal in the European pharmaceutical sector this year, a highlight for bankers in a market otherwise likely to be dominated by bolt-on acquisitions.

SHIRE chief executive Angus Russell said he understands why Sanofi-Aventis SA may buy Genzyme, his biggest rival in producing drugs for rare genetic diseases.