Shire shares jump as drug approval vindicates $5.2 billion NPS purchase

LONDON (Reuters) - Shire Plc shares gained more than 3 percent on Monday following news U.S. regulators had approved NPS Pharmaceuticals Inc's drug Natpara, validating Shire's decision to buy NPS for $5.2 billion (3 billion pounds). Natpara is designed to treat hypoparathyroidism, a rare condition in which the body's parathyroid gland does not secrete enough parathyroid hormone. (Reporting by Ben Hirschler; Editing by Mark Potter)