Purchase of Own Securities

AstraZeneca PLC
11 December 2002



                    REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC


AstraZeneca PLC announces that on 10 December 2002, it purchased for
cancellation 400,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 2286 pence
per share. Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares in issue
will be 1,720,792,832.

G H R Musker
Company Secretary
11 December 2002


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