Purchase of Own Securities

AstraZeneca PLC
06 December 2002


                    REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC


AstraZeneca PLC announces that on 5 December 2002, it purchased for cancellation
200,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 2429 pence per share.
Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares in issue will be
1,721,192,832,


G H R Musker
Company Secretary
6 December 2002


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