Purchase of Own Securities

AstraZeneca PLC
21 August 2001

                   REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC





AstraZeneca PLC announces that on 20 August 2001, it purchased for
cancellation 400,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 3219
pence per share. Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares
in issue will be 1,758,098,018.







G H R Musker

Company Secretary

21 August 2001