Holding(s) in Company

AstraZeneca PLC
30 September 2002



COMPANIES ACT 1985 SECTION 198

DISCLOSURE OF INTEREST IN VOTING SHARES IN PUBLIC COMPANIES



ON 30 SEPTEMBER 2002 WE WERE INFORMED BY THE CAPITAL GROUP COMPANIES, INC., A
REGISTERED INVESTMENT MANAGER IN THE U.S., THAT ON 26 SEPTEMBER 2002 ITS
INTEREST IN THE USD0.25 ORDINARY SHARES OF ASTRAZENECA PLC HAD DECREASED TO
214,373,635 SHARES (12.42 PER CENT OF THE ISSUED ORDINARY CAPITAL) FROM THE
PREVIOUSLY NOTIFIED LEVEL OF 217,059,087 SHARES (12.57 PER CENT).  THE REASON
FOR THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS THAT, WITHIN THE SAID HOLDING OF 12.42 PER CENT OF THE
ISSUED ORDINARY CAPITAL OF ASTRAZENECA PLC, CAPITAL RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT
COMPANY, AN AFFILIATE OF THE CAPITAL GROUP COMPANIES, INC., HAS DECREASED ITS
INTEREST IN THESE SHARES TO 85,233,849 SHARES (4.94 PER CENT) FROM 89,276,143
SHARES (5.17 PER CENT).



G H R MUSKER

COMPANY SECRETARY

30 SEPTEMBER 2002


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