Purchase of Own Securities

AstraZeneca PLC
17 May 2002


                    REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC


AstraZeneca PLC announces that on 16 May 2002, it purchased for cancellation
250,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 3229 pence per share.
Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares in issue will be
1,734,635,920.


G H R Musker
Company Secretary
17 May 2002


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