Purchase of Own Securities

AstraZeneca PLC
29 October 2001

                   REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC

AstraZeneca PLC announces that on 26 October 2001, it purchased for
cancellation 200,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 3131
pence per share. Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares
in issue will be 1,751,310,396.



G H R Musker
Company Secretary
29 October 2001