NEW YORK, June 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- TB Alliance, a not-for-profit organization leading the development of new, improved and affordable tuberculosis (TB) treatments, today announced that its Stakeholders Association (SHA) has elected Mitchell Warren as its president, a position that entails a seat on TB Alliance's Board of Directors. An accomplished leader and advocate, Warren brings extensive experience in accelerating the development and introduction of critical global health innovations.

Warren is the Executive Director of AVAC, a non-profit organization that uses education, policy analysis, advocacy and a network of global collaborations to accelerate the ethical development and global delivery of AIDS vaccines, male circumcision, microbicides, PrEP and other emerging HIV prevention options as part of a comprehensive response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. TB is the leading killer of people living with HIV, responsible for about one third of the total 940,000 global HIV deaths in 2017. Warren was previously Senior Director for Vaccine Preparedness at the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI).

"I'm honored to lead the SHA and especially excited to connect the efforts of the TB and HIV communities in accelerating innovation in product development and delivery. We're at critical junctures in advancing against both diseases, and collaborations between scientists, product developers and communities have never been more important if we are to succeed," said Warren.

The SHA is an informal association of organizations that provides an advisory role in support of TB Alliance's strategic decision-making. It has provided guidance to TB Alliance since both groups were founded at the Meeting on TB Drug Development in Cape Town, South Africa in 2000.

SHA Members include representatives from TB-affected communities, governments, non-governmental organizations, academia, foundations and industry. Because the SHA president has a seat on the TB Alliance Board, the perspectives of the SHA and the communities they represent are represented at the highest levels of the organization. As president, Warren will serve for a three-year term.

"The Stakeholders Association plays an integral role in shaping the work of TB Alliance," said Mel Spigelman, MD, president and CEO of TB Alliance. "We are pleased to welcome Mitchell's leadership as SHA president and the invaluable experience he will bring to our Board of Directors."

About TB Alliance
TB Alliance is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to finding faster-acting and affordable drug regimens to fight TB. Through innovative science and with partners around the globe, we aim to ensure equitable access to faster, better TB cures that will advance global health and prosperity. TB Alliance operates with support from Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership, Germany's Federal Ministry of Education and Research through KfW, Global Health Innovative Technology Fund, Indonesia Health Fund, Irish Aid, Medical Research Council (United Kingdom), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, United Kingdom Department for International Development, and the United States Agency for International Development.

SOURCE TB Alliance