Capital Group

AstraZeneca PLC
06 May 2003


COMPANIES ACT 1985 SECTION 198
DISCLOSURE OF INTEREST IN VOTING SHARES IN PUBLIC COMPANIES

ON 6 MAY 2003 WE WERE INFORMED BY THE CAPITAL GROUP COMPANIES, INC., A
REGISTERED INVESTMENT MANAGER IN THE U.S., THAT ON 2 MAY 2003 ITS INTEREST IN
THE USD0.25 ORDINARY SHARES OF ASTRAZENECA PLC HAD INCREASED TO 219,499,365
SHARES (12.80 PER CENT OF THE CURRENT ISSUED ORDINARY CAPITAL) FROM THE
PREVIOUSLY NOTIFIED LEVEL OF 205,903,068 SHARES (12.01 PER CENT).  THE REASON
FOR THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS THAT, WITHIN THE SAID HOLDING OF 12.80 PER CENT OF THE
ISSUED ORDINARY CAPITAL OF ASTRAZENECA PLC, CAPITAL GUARDIAN TRUST COMPANY AND
CAPITAL RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT COMPANY, AFFILIATES OF THE CAPITAL GROUP
COMPANIES, INC., HAVE INCREASED THEIR INTEREST IN THESE SHARES TO 85,745,932
SHARES (5.00 PER CENT) AND 86,193,592 SHARES (5.03 PER CENT) RESPECTIVELY.


G H R MUSKER
COMPANY SECRETARY
6 MAY 2003


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