AstraZeneca - Disclosure of interest in voting shares

COMPANIES ACT 1985 SECTION 198 DISCLOSURE OF INTEREST IN VOTING SHARES IN PUBLIC COMPANIES ON 19 APRIL 2000 WE WERE INFORMED BY THE CAPITAL GROUP COMPANIES, INC., A REGISTERED INVESTMENT MANAGER IN THE U.S., THAT ON 17 APRIL 2000 ITS INTEREST IN THE USD0.25 ORDINARY SHARES OF ASTRAZENECA PLC HAD INCREASED TO 159,561,790 SHARES (9.01 PER CENT OF THE ISSUED ORDINARY CAPITAL) FROM THE PREVIOUSLY NOTIFIED LEVEL OF 142,466,003 SHARES (8.05 PER CENT). G H R MUSKER COMPANY SECRETARY 19 APRIL 2000 ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/04/19/20000419BIT01230/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/04/19/20000419BIT01230/bit0002.pdf