Capital Group

AstraZeneca PLC
14 May 2004

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

ON 13 MAY 2004 WE WERE INFORMED BY THE CAPITAL GROUP COMPANIES, INC., A
REGISTERED INVESTMENT MANAGER IN THE U.S., THAT ON 11 MAY 2004 ITS INTEREST IN
THE USD0.25 ORDINARY SHARES OF ASTRAZENECA PLC HAD INCREASED TO 264,669,595
SHARES (15.74 PER CENT OF THE CURRENT ISSUED ORDINARY CAPITAL) FROM THE
PREVIOUSLY NOTIFIED LEVEL OF 254,143,676 SHARES (15.01 PER CENT).  THE REASON
FOR THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS THAT, WITHIN THE SAID HOLDING OF 15.74 PER CENT OF THE
ISSUED ORDINARY CAPITAL OF ASTRAZENECA PLC, CAPITAL GUARDIAN TRUST COMPANY, AN
AFFILIATE OF THE CAPITAL GROUP COMPANIES, INC., HAS INCREASED ITS INTEREST IN
THESE SHARES TO 101,574,866 SHARES (6.04 PER CENT).


G H R MUSKER
COMPANY SECRETARY
14 MAY 2004


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange