Purchase of Own Securities

AstraZeneca PLC
26 September 2001



                   REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC


AstraZeneca PLC announces that on 25 September 2001, it purchased for
cancellation 130,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 2965
pence per share. Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares
in issue will be 1,751,465,843.



G H R Musker
Company Secretary
26 September 2001