Purchase of Own Securities

AstraZeneca PLC
21 February 2002

                    REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC


AstraZeneca PLC announces that on 20 February 2002, it purchased for
cancellation 121,450 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 3446 pence
per share. Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares in issue
will be 1,744,740,637.


G H R Musker
Company Secretary

21 February 2002



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