Purchase of Own Securities

AstraZeneca PLC
23 September 2003

                       REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC

AstraZeneca PLC announced that on 22 September 2003, it purchased for
cancellation 450,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 2594 pence
per share. Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares in issue
will be 1,706,585,308.



G H R Musker
Company Secretary
23 September 2003


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