Directorate Change

AstraZeneca PLC
26 July 2006



AstraZeneca PLC appoints new Non-Executive Director



AstraZeneca today announced that John Varley is to join the Board of Directors
as a Non-Executive Director with immediate effect.  John Varley is the Group
Chief Executive of Barclays Bank PLC.  Louis Schweitzer, Chairman of
AstraZeneca, said, 'I am delighted that John Varley has agreed to join us.  His
extensive commercial and financial expertise will add considerable benefit to
the work of the Board'.



John Varley will become a member of the Remuneration Committee and it is
expected that he will become Chairman of that Committee when Sir Peter Bonfield
steps down as a Director at the Annual General Meeting in April 2007.  It is
also intended that Michele Hooper, a Non-Executive Director of AstraZeneca since
2003, will become the Senior Independent Director, in succession to Sir Peter,
at that time.



26 July 2006

Media Enquiries:

Steve Brown (London)  [phone]

Edel McCaffrey (London) [phone]



Analyst/Investor Enquiries:

Jonathan Hunt (London) [phone]

Mina Blair (London) [phone]

Ed Seage (US) [phone]

Jorgen Winroth (US) [phone]





Biographical details of John Varley



John Varley, 50, has been the Group Chief Executive of Barclays Bank PLC since
2004, having joined the Corporate Finance Department of Barclays Merchant Bank
in 1982.  He has held a number of senior positions with the bank during his
career including Chairman of the Asset Management Division 1995-1998; Chief
Executive, Barclays Retail Financial Services 1998-2000; and Group Finance
Director 2000-2003.  He was appointed as an Executive Director of Barclays Bank
PLC  in 1998.



John Varley is also Chairman of Business Action on Homelessness, President of
the Employers' Forum on Disability and a member of the International Advisory
Panel of the Monetary Authority of Singapore.





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