Purchase of Own Securities

AstraZeneca PLC
01 October 2003


                    REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC


AstraZeneca PLC announced that on 30 September 2003, it purchased for
cancellation 900,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 2556 pence
per share. Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares in issue
will be 1,704,025,662.

G H R Musker
Company Secretary
1 October 2003


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