Director/PDMR Shareholding

AstraZeneca PLC
19 November 2007


Transaction by Persons Discharging Managerial Responsibilities

Disclosure Rules DR 3.1.2R


We hereby inform you that on 16 November 2007, Simon Lowth, a Director of
AstraZeneca PLC, was granted awards under the terms of the AstraZeneca Share
Option Plan and the AstraZeneca Performance Share Plan over the Company's
USD0.25 Ordinary Shares.  Details of the awards are as follows:


AstraZeneca Share Option Plan


                    Number of shares over                                           
                    which option is       Exercise price per  Period when           Total number of
Name of Director    granted               share               exercisable           shares under option
                                          

S Lowth             18,665                2210p               16.11.10-15.11.17     18,665


The option will become exercisable on16 November 2010 subject to the achievement
of certain performance conditions.  The conditions, which will not be subject to
any retesting, are that the earnings per share of the Company must increase by
the increase in the UK Retail Prices Index plus 5% per annum on average over
three years, and that no significant unforeseen event has taken place which, in
the reasonable opinion of the Remuneration Committee, has resulted in major
reputational damage to AstraZeneca, and the circumstances of which are
exceptional enough to justify the option not vesting and becoming exercisable.
Failure to satisfy either or both of these conditions will result in the lapse
of the option in its entirety.


AstraZeneca Performance Share Plan


              
              
              Target number of                                           Total interest                                 
              shares awarded                                             in shares after                                
Name of                        Award price per                           this award       Percentage of
Director                       share            Normal vesting date                       shares in issue
                                                

S Lowth       15,554           2210p            16 November 2010         16,404           0.001%


The AstraZeneca Performance Share Plan was approved by shareholders at the
Company's AGM in 2005.  Awards made under the Plan may not generally vest before
the third anniversary of the relevant date of grant nor unless the specified
performance target(s) have been met at the end of the three year period which,
for this award, is 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2009.



The performance target that applies to this award is the Company's Total
Shareholder Return ('TSR') compared to the TSR of a selected peer group of 12
other pharmaceutical companies.  The actual number of shares to which a
participant may become unconditionally entitled will depend on the extent to
which the performance target(s) have been met.  A summary of the Plan, including
a more detailed explanation of the performance target(s), can be found in the
AstraZeneca Annual Report and Form 20-F Information 2006 which is available on
the Company's website www.astrazeneca.com.


G H R Musker

Company Secretary

19 November 2007


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