Chicago, IL, August 26, 2025 – Sophrosyne Pharmaceuticals, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing novel therapies for patients suffering from Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), related conditions, and other drug addictions, announced today that it has appointed biopharma industry veteran Herman Cukier as its Chief Executive Officer and member of the Company’s Board of Directors.
Herm is an accomplished senior executive in the biopharmaceutical industry with more than three decades of experience leading efforts to develop and launch several novel breakthrough therapies across a multitude of therapeutic categories. He was most recently the CEO of Enalare Therapeutics where he helped raised more than $100M in committed funding from private investors, a publicly traded strategic partner, and two government agencies, BARDA and the NIH. Previously, Herm was the CEO of BioDelivery Sciences (NASDAQ: BDSI) leading its transformation into a rapidly growing and profitable organization before its acquisition by a strategic partner. Herm has also held a series of senior leadership positions with preeminent pharmaceutical enterprises including Allergan, Pfizer, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Bayer. At Allergan, Herm led several rapidly growing multi-billion-dollar divisions and was a member of both the Company’s Global Commercial Leadership Team and the CEO’s Operational Leadership Team. Previously, he had been the Chief Marketing Officer and member of the Management Team at Organon Biosciences where he had worldwide responsibility for all the Company’s in-line products and development pipeline, as well as serving as the commercial spokesperson for the Company’s intended IPO before being acquired outright by a strategic partner. He received his MBA from the Columbia Business School, where he was the General Motors Fellow, and a BSE in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania.
“We are very excited to have an individual of Herm’s extensive experience and abilities lead our Company as we prepare to initiate clinical studies for our proprietary and novel compound SOPH-110s, a highly active and selective new chemical entity targeting the reduction of ALDH2, an enzyme required for the breakdown of ethanol in humans,” stated Sophrosyne founder and board Chairman, Lewis Feldberg. “I am honored to join the Sophrosyne team,” stated Herm Cukier. “Alcoholism is a leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in the U.S. and around the world with more than 200 thousand estimated deaths per year in the U.S. alone. Today’s standard of care is woefully antiquated and inadequate, with more than 90% of patients relapsing after treatment. Sophrosyne’s novel compounds hold the promise of fundamentally transforming the treatment experience for the roughly 30 million patients of AUD in the U.S. and hundreds of millions more around the world.”
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), encompassing the conditions referred to as alcoholism, alcohol abuse, and alcohol addiction, is a chronic disease characterized by uncontrolled drinking and the preoccupation with alcohol despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences. AUD is the inability to control drinking due to both a physical and emotional dependence on alcohol. Considered a brain disorder, AUD may create lasting changes in the brain, thus perpetuating the need and consumption of alcohol despite the resulting consequences. AUD affects approximately 30 million Americans and has a relapse rate of more than 90% with today’s treatments. It is a leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality leading to more than 200 thousand deaths in the U.S. Hundreds of millions of people are estimated to suffer from AUD worldwide.
Sophrosyne Pharmaceuticals is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing novel therapies for patients suffering from Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), related conditions, and other drug addictions. The Company is planning to initiate clinical studies with its leading new chemical entity (NCE) in the United States in the coming months for AUD, as well as further advance its other novel development programs. The Company’s NCEs are patent protected globally through 2042.
This press release contains, or may contain, forward-looking statements that involve significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements due to various factors and circumstances, without limitation, many of which are outside of Sophrosyne Pharmaceuticals’ control. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements which speak only as of the date of this press release. Sophrosyne Pharmaceuticals undertakes no obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements to reflect future events, circumstances, or otherwise.
Neil Chapman, Investor Relations, at https://www.sophrosynepharma.com/contact-us
