Purchase of Own Securities

AstraZeneca PLC
16 November 2001



                   REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC

AstraZeneca PLC announces that on 15 November 2001, it purchased for
cancellation 280,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 3226
pence per share. Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares
in issue will be 1,750,468,396.


G H R Musker
Company Secretary
16 November 2001