Purchase of Own Securities

AstraZeneca PLC
17 September 2003

                    REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC

AstraZeneca PLC announced that on 16 September 2003, it purchased for
cancellation 389,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 2625 pence
per share. Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares in issue
will be 1,708,035,808.

G H R Musker

Company Secretary

17 September 2003


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