Purchase of Own Securities

AstraZeneca PLC
26 April 2002


                    REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC


AstraZeneca PLC announces that on 25 April 2002, it purchased for cancellation
3,005,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 3337 pence per share
and 4846 cents per share. Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of
shares in issue will be 1,739,726,900.







G H R Musker
Company Secretary
26 April 2002



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