Transaction in Own Shares

AstraZeneca PLC
09 August 2004

                    REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC

AstraZeneca PLC announced that on 6 August 2004, it purchased for cancellation
800,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 2400 pence per share.
Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares in issue will be
1,669,466,187.

G H R Musker
Company Secretary
9 August 2004


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