Purchase of Own Securities

AstraZeneca PLC
26 February 2003

                    REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC



AstraZeneca PLC announces that on 25 February 2003, it purchased for
cancellation 860,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 2072 pence
per share. Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares in issue
will be 1,717,806,329.





G H R Musker
Company Secretary
26 February 2003


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