Yissum, the Technology Transfer Company of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has signed a strategic collaboration with KYORIN Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, a subsidiary of KYORIN Holdings Inc, it was reported yesterday.

The collaboration is aimed at the discovery of respiratory drug therapies.

Under the collaboration, KYORIN will sponsor a research programme led by Prof Francesca Levi-Schaffer of Hebrew University's Institute of Drug Research in the School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and advance its own drug discovery research. KYORIN and Prof Levi-Schaffer are to collaborate and screen for new drugs for the suppression of asthma and other related allergies.