Harry Penner is Chair and CEO of Marinus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.. Through his own firm, Nascent BioScience, LLC., Mr. Penner has played a key role in the founding of several bioscience companies in Connecticut, including RHEI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., RxGen, Inc., MAKScientific, LLC., Marinus, and Rib-X. He was President, CEO, and Vice Chairman of Neurogen Corporation from 1993 to 2001. Under Mr. Penner's leadership, Neurogen became broadly based, financially sound, and perhaps the most advanced small molecule drug discovery company in the biotechnology sector. From 1985 to 1993 Mr. Penner was an Executive Vice President of Novo Nordisk A/S. Prior to that he was Executive VP for North America and President, Novo Nordisk of North America (1988 to 1993) and Executive Vice President & General Counsel in Denmark (1985 to 1988).

Mr. Penner serves on the Board of Directors of Altus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Avant Immunotherapeutics, Inc., and Ikonisys, Inc. He also serves as Chair of the Board of Governors of Higher Education in Connecticut, a board member (former Co-Chair) of CURE, Connecticut's Bioscience Cluster (Executive Committee), and a member of the CT Governor's Council on Economic Competitiveness (Executive Committee). He has received academic degrees from the University of Virginia (BA), Fordham University (JD), and New York University (LLM, International Law) and has completed senior management programs at Stanford.