Purchase of Own Securities

AstraZeneca PLC
29 October 2003

                    REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC

AstraZeneca PLC announced that on 28 October 2003, it purchased for cancellation
500,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 2850 pence per share.
Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares in issue will be
1,703,204,773.



G H R Musker
Company Secretary
29 October 2003


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