BUZZ-Shire: to buy US biotech co NPS
** British drugmaker Shire (Xetra: S7E.DE - news) makes its biggest acquisition yet with a $5.2 bln deal to buy US biotech firm NPS Pharmaceuticals Inc
** Co strengthening position in lucrative field of medicines for rare diseases & deal continues breakneck pace of deal-making in 2014 in pharma sector
** Move will not come as a huge surprise, since Shire was first linked to NPS in May 2014
** Stock seen by traders opening +3pct to -1pct
** All-cash deal comes after plans for Shire to sell itself to AbbVie Inc (Xetra: 4AB.DE - news) fell apart in Oct (HKSE: 3366.HK - news) (RM (LSE: RM.L - news) : tricia.wright1.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)