Purchase of Own Securities

AstraZeneca PLC
23 December 2002

                    REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC



AstraZeneca PLC announces that on 20 December 2002, it purchased for
cancellation 280,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 2205 pence
per share. Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares in issue
will be 1,718,666,329.







G H R Musker

Company Secretary

23 December 2002


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