SAR - (AstraZeneca)

RNS Number:5111U
Capital Group Companies Inc
22 January 2004

                                                                      FORM SAR 3

Lodge with Company Announcements Office and Newstrack, if appropriate, and the
Takeover Panel. A copy must also be sent to the company the shares of which are
acquired.

                                            Date of disclosure - 21 January 2004

   DISCLOSURE UNDER RULE 3 OF THE RULES GOVERNING SUBSTANTIAL ACQUISITIONS OF
                                SHARES ("SARs")



Date of acquisition                                        20 January 2004

Acquisition in                                             AstraZeneca plc


(1)  Class of voting shares             Number of shares/rights over shares     If rights over shares acquired, as
                                        acquired                                opposed to the shares themselves,
        (e.g. ordinary shares)                                                  specify nature of rights
                                                                                              
        Ordinary Shares                            2,352,771 shares                                  N/A

                                                           0 rights


(2)  Resultant total holding of voting  Resultant total holding of rights over  Total percentage
shares (and % of total voting shares in shares (and % of total voting shares in
issue)                                  issue)


        256,568,628 (15.08%)                               0 (0.00%)                               15.08%


(3)  Party making disclosure                  The Capital Group Companies, Inc.


(4)  (a)   Name of person acquiring shares or rights over
           shares and, if different, beneficial owner:

                                              The Capital Group Companies, Inc.


        (b)   Names of any other persons acting by
              agreement or understanding (see SAR 5)
                                                           N/A


Signed, for and on behalf of the party named in (3) above ______________________



(Also print name of signatory)                                     Liliane Corzo

Telephone and extension number                  Contact David Gaw [phone]

                     ______________________________________

Note.  Under SAR 5, the holdings of and acquisitions by persons acting by
agreement or understanding must be aggregated and treated as a holding of or
acquisition by one person. Note 3 on SAR 5 requires persons who must aggregate
holdings to disclose certain disposals.

For full details of the SARs disclosure requirements, see Rules 3 and 5 of the
SARs. If in doubt, contact the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers, Monitoring
Section, Tel. No: 020 7638 0129.


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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