Capital Group

AstraZeneca PLC
22 April 2003



COMPANIES ACT 1985 SECTION 198
DISCLOSURE OF INTEREST IN VOTING SHARES IN PUBLIC COMPANIES

ON 22 APRIL 2003 WE WERE INFORMED BY THE CAPITAL GROUP COMPANIES, INC., A
REGISTERED INVESTMENT MANAGER IN THE U.S., THAT ON 16 APRIL 2003 ITS INTEREST IN
THE USD0.25 ORDINARY SHARES OF ASTRAZENECA PLC HAD INCREASED TO 205,903,068
SHARES (12.01 PER CENT OF THE CURRENT ISSUED ORDINARY CAPITAL) FROM THE
PREVIOUSLY NOTIFIED LEVEL OF 204,812,653 SHARES (11.92 PER CENT OF THE ORDINARY
CAPITAL THEN IN ISSUE).

G H R MUSKER
COMPANY SECRETARY
22 APRIL 2003


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