Nature‑evolved chemistry, human insight, and AI converge to advance a new generation of brain‑health medicines
Company Appoints Jacob Hooker, PhD As CEO and Simba Gill, PhD, as Executive Chair
Boston, July 8, 2025—Sensorium Therapeutics, Inc. (Sensorium), a neuroscience therapeutics company inspired by nature and guided by human biology to transform mental health treatment, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the
Investigational New Drug (IND) application for SNTX-2643, its lead anxiety program. With IND clearance secured, Sensorium enters a new stage of operational maturity, enabling first-in-human dosing and expanding the potential for strategic partnerships and downstream value creation. First in-human dosing will begin in Q3 2025.
“A fast-acting, well‑tolerated anxiolytic would be game‑changing for the hundreds of millions worldwide living with anxiety disorders,” said
Maurizio Fava, MD, Scientific Advisor to Sensorium and Chair of Psychiatry at Mass General Brigham. “FDA clearance of SNTX‑2643 moves us one step closer to that goal.”
SNTX-2643 is a first-in-class precision serotonin modulator designed to treat neuropsychiatric conditions including social anxiety disorder (SAD), a leading anxiety disorder underserved by current pharmacologic treatments. Re-engineered from a natural product with a long history of human use, SNTX-2643 could overcome many critical limitations commonly associated with benzodiazepine-like drugs by enabling rapid onset of action, reducing off-target side effects, and avoiding sedation. It acts through unique pharmacology distinct from SSRIs, which are
limited by delayed onset and can paradoxically increase acute anxiety in the early stages of treatment.
Co-Founder Jacob Hooker appointed as CEO, affirms company vision
Sensorium has appointed Jacob Hooker, PhD—co‑founder and formerly endowed Harvard Medical School professor—as Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Hooker is a world- renowned expert in chemical neuroscience, biomarker development, and CNS pharmacology. He has co-founded and advised several biotech companies, including Eikonizo Therapeutics, Delix Therapeutics, and Rocket Science Health. Dr.
Hooker succeeds Sandra Glucksmann, PhD, who will remain on Sensorium’s Board of Directors and serve as a senior advisor.
“Leading Sensorium is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change the course of neuropsychiatry that can’t be realized through research alone,” said Dr. Hooker. “We aim to help people living with mental health conditions by exploring nature’s rich goldmine of medicinal compounds to discover and develop innovative therapies. Our approach starts with chemistry that co‑evolved with humans, validates insights with modern neuroscience, and accelerates opportunities with AI. That combination can reshape how we treat mental‑health conditions on a global scale.”
Simba Gill named Sensorium Executive Chairman
Simba Gill, PhD, a current Board member, has been appointed Executive Chairman of Sensorium’s Board of Directors. Dr. Gill has built
and led multiple category‑defining biotech companies, adding deep expertise in financing, product development, and commercialization to Sensorium’s board. “Jacob and the founding team’s brilliance and track record, combined with Sensorium’s data‑rich platform, position the
company for rapid value inflection,” said Dr. Gill.
“Sensorium is exactly the kind of company we are excited to back at this pivotal stage,” saidKevin Lalande, Founder & Managing Partner at Santé Ventures, adding, “With an IND in hand, a differentiated platform, additional programs in epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease advancing quickly, and brilliant leadership, the company will illuminate new paths to safer, more effective mental health medications for millions globally.”
Sensorium’s current pipeline, powered by the company’s SensAI discovery platform is illustrated below. The platform systematically mines nature’s most proven compounds—those with a history of human use—using a unified knowledge graph that has produced three drug programs in under three years.