The Gates Medical Research Institute (MRI) has appointed Charles Wells as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Head of Medical Development. He has been serving as interim CMO and head of development since October 2025.
Wells joined the Gates Medical Research Institute in 2019 as a clinical development leader, then served as Head of Therapeutics Development. He leads Gates MRI’s efforts in the PAN-TB Partnership, a research collaboration of philanthropic, non-profit and private-sector organisations seeking to identify investigational compounds and regimens that would be effective against most strains of tuberculosis.
Krish Ramanathan, interim CEO of the Gates MRI, said: “Charles’ dedication to public health and track record of success in developing medical innovations over the past several decades will help us engage our stakeholders in the global health ecosystem and establish a strong partnership with them.”
Wells commented: “We need to turn over every stone to solve some of the most difficult medical diseases in lower-income countries – and it’s equally important to make sure that the people who need these innovations, those suffering from TB, malaria and other diseases, can access and benefit from them.
“What is exciting is the wide range of tools that are currently in development – from vaccines and monoclonal antibodies to long-acting injectables and new treatment regimens that can, if used in combination, sharply curtail the impact of these diseases, as long as we make sure they reach the people who need them.”
Before joining Gates MRI, Wells served in executive leadership roles at Sanofi and Evotec. In these roles, he oversaw development activities for new therapeutic agents for malaria and bacterial diseases including TB, as well as biologics development for HIV and other viral infections. Prior to joining Sanofi, he served as Senior Medical Director and lead clinician for the development and initial registration of delamanid (Deltyba) for treatment of multidrug resistant-TB at Otsuka Pharmaceuticals. He also previously served as Chief of the International Research and Programs Branch of the Division of Tuberculosis Elimination at the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 2000-2007 and in the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service (1995-1997).