Purchase of Own Securities

AstraZeneca PLC
20 December 2002

                    REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC


AstraZeneca PLC announces that on 19 December 2002, it purchased for
cancellation 550,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 2175 pence
per share. Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares in issue
will be 1,718,946,329.



G H R Musker
Company Secretary
20 December 2002


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