Holding in Company

AstraZeneca PLC
7 February 2001


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

ON 7 FEBRUARY 2001 WE WERE INFORMED BY THE CAPITAL GROUP COMPANIES, INC., A
REGISTERED INVESTMENT MANAGER IN THE U.S., THAT ON 2 FEBRUARY 2001 ITS
INTEREST IN THE USD0.25 ORDINARY SHARES OF ASTRAZENECA PLC HAD INCREASED TO
177,077,626 SHARES (10.02 PER CENT OF THE ISSUED ORDINARY CAPITAL) FROM THE
PREVIOUSLY NOTIFIED LEVEL OF 159,561,790 SHARES (9.01 PER CENT). 

G H R MUSKER
COMPANY SECRETARY