Purchase of Own Securities

AstraZeneca PLC
29 April 2002

                    REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC

AstraZeneca PLC announces that on 26 April 2002, it purchased for cancellation
1,000,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 3321 pence per share.
Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares in issue will be
1,739,026,900.




G H R Musker
Company Secretary
29 April 2002



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