Purchase of Own Securities

AstraZeneca PLC
18 March 2002



                    REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC


AstraZeneca PLC announces that on 15 March 2002, it purchased for cancellation
250,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 3458 pence per share.
Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares in issue will be
1,743,793,265.




G H R Musker

Company Secretary

18 March 2002



                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange