Transaction in Own Shares

AstraZeneca PLC
30 December 2004

                      REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC


AstraZeneca PLC announced that on 29 December 2004, it purchased for
cancellation 500,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 1871 pence
per share. Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares in issue
will be 1,645,551,891.



G H R Musker
Company Secretary
30 December 2004


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