Driven by Chiron Corp.'s $6.25 gain, the AMEX BiotechnologyIndex continued to build on last week's rebound, finishingMonday up 4.21 points to 150.71.

Bioscience shares otherwise posted generally small to moderategains.

International Murex Technologies Corp. (AMEX:MXX) rose $1.63to $13.25 after the company announced FDA approval ofNovaClone monoclonal antibody-based blood grouping reagentsby Murex's Dominion Biologicals Ltd. subsidiary. Dominion willimmediately begin selling the reagents in the U.S. throughanother unit, Murex Biologicals Inc.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. gained 63 cents to $13.63 afterit announced it has started Phase I trials of its ciliaryneurotrophic factor treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

CNTF, which has orphan designation for ALS, has been shown inanimal studies to slow the progression of motor neurondegeneration. The Tarrytown, N.Y., company (NASDAQ:REGN) ispresenting additional animal data on the therapeutic abilities ofthe factor this week at the meet-ing of the American Academyof Neurology in San Diego.

(c) 1997 American Health Consultants. All rights reserved.