REPURCHASE OF SHARES

AstraZeneca PLC
23 February 2004


                    REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC


AstraZeneca PLC announced that on 20 February 2004, it purchased for
cancellation 650,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 2558 pence
per share. Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares in issue
will be 1,685,975,527.

G H R Musker
Company Secretary
23 February 2004


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