Purchase of Own Securities

AstraZeneca PLC
16 December 2002


                    REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC

AstraZeneca PLC announces that on 13 December 2002, it purchased for
cancellation 490,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 2278 pence
per share. Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares in issue
will be 1,719,652,832.


G H R Musker
Company Secretary
16 December 2002


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