Transaction in Own Shares

AstraZeneca PLC
20 May 2004


                 REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC

AstraZeneca PLC announced that on 19 May 2004, it purchased for cancellation
500,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 2629 pence per share.
Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares in issue will be
1,680,911,912.


G H R Musker
Company Secretary
20 May 2004

                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange   D

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