Purchase of Own Securities

AstraZeneca PLC
20 May 2003

                    REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC

AstraZeneca PLC announces that on 19 May 2003, it purchased for cancellation
65,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 2641 pence per share.
Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares in issue will be
1,712,721,026.


G H R Musker
Company Secretary
20 May 2003


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange END

POSUKUNROBRVAAR