Holding in Company

AstraZeneca PLC
26 February 2001


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

ON 26 FEBRUARY 2001 WE WERE INFORMED BY THE CAPITAL GROUP COMPANIES, INC., A
REGISTERED INVESTMENT MANAGER IN THE U.S., THAT ON 21 FEBRUARY 2001 ITS
INTEREST IN THE USD0.25 ORDINARY SHARES OF ASTRAZENECA PLC HAD INCREASED TO
179,267,943 SHARES (10.15 PER CENT OF THE ISSUED ORDINARY CAPITAL) FROM THE
PREVIOUSLY NOTIFIED LEVEL OF 177,077,626 SHARES (10.02 PER CENT). CAPITAL
RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT COMPANY, AN AFFILIATE OF THE CAPITAL GROUP COMPANIES,
INC., HAS INCREASED ITS INTEREST IN THESE SHARES TO 89,180,168 SHARES (5.05
PER CENT) FROM 87,635,431 SHARES (4.96 PER CENT) 

G H R MUSKER
COMPANY SECRETARY
26 FEBRUARY 2001