Transaction in Own Shares

AstraZeneca PLC
16 December 2005

                     REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC


AstraZeneca PLC announced that on 15 December 2005, it purchased for
cancellation 750,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 2751 pence
per share. Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares in issue
will be 1,579,822,287.



G H R Musker
Company Secretary
16 December 2005


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