Shire, a leading British pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the quality of life of patients by treating neuroscience, rare diseases, gastrointestinal and medical conditions, was founded in 1986 in the United Kingdom with operations in the United Kingdom, the United States and Switzerland; it was ranked 1,040th in the 2014 Global 2000. The company is ranked No. 1040 in the 2014 Global 2000.