Purchase of Own Securities

AstraZeneca PLC
20 February 2002

                    REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC


AstraZeneca PLC announces that on 19 February 2002, it purchased for
cancellation 150,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 3442 pence
per share. Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares in issue
will be 1,744,848,466.


G H R Musker
Company Secretary

20 February 2002



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