Holding in Company

AstraZeneca PLC
23 May 2001


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

ON 22 MAY 2001 WE WERE INFORMED BY THE CAPITAL GROUP COMPANIES, INC., A
REGISTERED INVESTMENT MANAGER IN THE U.S., THAT ON 21 MAY 2001 ITS INTEREST IN
THE USD0.25 ORDINARY SHARES OF ASTRAZENECA PLC HAD INCREASED TO 189,375,815
SHARES (10.76 PER CENT OF THE ISSUED ORDINARY CAPITAL) FROM THE PREVIOUSLY
NOTIFIED LEVEL OF 179,267,943 SHARES (10.18 PER CENT).  CAPITAL GUARDIAN TRUST
COMPANY, AN AFFILIATE OF THE CAPITAL GROUP COMPANIES, INC., HAS INCREASED ITS
INTEREST IN THESE SHARES TO 70,661,031 SHARES (4.01 PER CENT) FROM 68,116,753
SHARES (3.87 PER CENT) 

G H R MUSKER
COMPANY SECRETARY
23 MAY 2001