EXHIBIT 99.1 TO FORM 8-K
[OSTEX  LOGO]


FINANCIAL CONTACT:                      COMPANY CONTACT:
Lillian Armstrong/Adam Aron             Robert Littauer
Lippert/Heilshorn & Associates          Ostex International, Inc.
415-433-3777                            206-689-0592
e-mail:lillian@lhai.com                 e-mail: littauer@nwlink.com


      OSTEX INTERNATIONAL, INC. ADOPTS SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN


    SEATTLE, JANUARY 22, 1997 -- Ostex International, Inc. (NASDAQ
NM: OSTX)  announced today that its Board of Directors has
adopted a Shareholder Rights Plan  in which preferred stock
purchase rights have been granted as a non-taxable dividend at
the rate of one Right for each share of Common Stock held of
record as of the close of business on January 27, 1997.  The
Rights will expire in January, 2007.

    The Rights Plan, which is similar to plans adopted by more than
1,800 publicly-traded companies, is designed to deter coercive or
unfair takeover tactics. The Company's adoption of the Plan is
intended to protect the rights of its stockholders and is not in
response to any acquisition proposal.  The Rights are not
intended to prevent a takeover of the Company and will not do so.
The Rights are designed to provide adequate time for the Board
and shareholders to evaluate the fairness of a proposal.  The
Rights deal with the very serious problem of another person or
company using abusive tactics to deprive the Board and
shareholders of any real opportunity to determine the destiny of
the Company.

    In implementing the Plan, the Board has declared a dividend of
one Right for each outstanding share of Ostex Common Stock.  Each
Right, upon becoming exercisable, would entitle the holder
thereof to purchase 1/100th of a share of a new series of
Preferred Stock.  One one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock
is intended to be approximately the economic equivalent of one
share of Common Stock.

    At the time of adoption of the Shareholder Rights Plan, the
Rights are neither exercisable nor traded separately from the
Common Stock. The Rights will be exercisable only if a person or
group in the future becomes the beneficial owner of 20% or more
of the Common Stock, or announces a tender or exchange offer



which would result in its ownership of 20% or more of the Common
Stock, without approval by the Company's Board of Directors.

    Ten days after a public announcement that a person has become the
beneficial owner of 20% or more of the Common Stock, each holder
of a Right, other than the acquiring person, would be entitled to
purchase shares of Common Shares of the Company
at one-half of the then-current price. If the Company is acquired
in a merger, or 50% or more of the Company's assets are sold in
one or more related transactions, each Right would entitle the
holder thereof to purchase common stock of the acquiring company
at half of the then-current market price of such common stock.

    At any time after a person or group of persons becomes the
beneficial owner of 20% or more of the Common Stock, the Board of
Directors may exchange one share of Common Stock for each Right,
other than Rights held by the acquiring person.  Additional
details regarding the Rights Plan will be outlined in a summary
to be mailed to all stockholders following the Record Date.

    Ostex   International,  Inc.  is  engaged   in   the   discovery,
development,  sales and marketing of diagnostics and therapeutics
for  diseases  of  the skeleton.  The Company believes  its  lead
product,     Osteomark -Regiatered    Trademark-,     incorporates
breakthrough   technology  in  the  area   of   bone   resorption
measurement.   Ostex  has  performed collaborative  relationships
with  a number of leading diagnostic and pharmaceutical companies
to aid in the commercialization of Osteomark.