Transaction in Own Shares

AstraZeneca PLC
13 December 2004


                    REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC


AstraZeneca PLC announced that on 10 December 2004, it purchased for
cancellation 800,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 2125 pence
per share. Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares in issue
will be 1,650,149,596.


G H R Musker
Company Secretary
13 December 2004


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