Purchase of Own Securities

AstraZeneca PLC
24 September 2003


                    REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC

AstraZeneca PLC announced that on 23 September 2003, it purchased for
cancellation 170,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 2593 pence
per share. Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares in issue
will be 1,706,415,308.


G H R Musker
Company Secretary
24 September 2003


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