Transaction in Own Shares

AstraZeneca PLC
15 December 2003



               REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC


AstraZeneca PLC announced that on 12 December 2003, it purchased for
cancellation 600,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 2581 pence
per share. Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares in issue
will be 1,693,116,544.




G H R Musker
Company Secretary
15 December 2003




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