Kristian G. Andersen:Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA, lead author of the Proximal Origin paper

Along with two of the above co-authors, Andersen is a genomic surveillance enthusiast:

"We urge those working on infectious disease to focus funds and efforts on a much simpler and more cost-effective way to mitigate outbreaks — proactive, real-time surveillance of human populations."

Andersen works for Scripps Research Institute. Scripps was in financial trouble hemorrhaging 20 mil a year. But just when the first virus cases were emerging, they received great news. They issued a press release Nov 27, 2019:

“Scripps Research and Shenzhen Bay Laboratory (China) today announced a trans-Pacific chemical biology research collaboration that combines the expertise of both institutions.”

Presumably the financial expertise was more from the Chinese side of the equation. Shenzhen City Council and Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School are backing the venture.

"Several Scripps Research chemical biology faculty will establish joint laboratories at Shenzhen Bay Laboratory with research areas including synthetic chemistry, natural products, glycobiology, chemical genetics, proteomics and other critical areas of chemical biology.

"Shenzhen Bay Laboratory (SZBL) is a recently established Guangdong Provincial Laboratory located in the heart of China’s Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay area. SZBL strives to become a hub for world-class research at the forefront of health science and innovation, spurring novel solutions to the grand issues challenging mankind."

So to break that down: a new bio-tech lab set up in the Hong Kong vicinity with the Hong Kong protest in full swing - in partnership with a bankrupt firm whose head scientist is a cheer-leader for genomic surveillance - funded with money from the CCP - in late Nov 2019.

No - nothing fishy about that at all!

Scripps promotes remdesivir which was also endorsed by WIV, which, according to article in Gulf News, Shi Zheng-li’s team “applied for a patent for the drug (remdesivir) in China on behalf of WIV.” (not sure how you patent a drug that's already owned by Gilead)

Eric Topol, founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute (whatever that is):It’s a very safe and effective drug. We now have a definite first efficacious drug for Covid-19, which is a major step forward and will be built upon with other drugs, [and drug] combinations.

One thing for sure - whoever has got a piece of the remdesivir pie has just become mega-wealthy.

Interestingly, Andersen, an advocate of genomic surveillance, believes the attempt to catalog bat viruses (championed by WIV and an American virologist called Peter Daszak) is a waste of time and money:

I feel the claim they are making that you can prevent the next pandemic by doing this type of work is preposterous. If you could, given they worked in Wuhan for so long specifically, you would have thought they could have prevented the current pandemic, and they didn’t.

Somehow didn't stop Andersen riding to Daszak's rescue with the Proximal Origin paper. That's curious. Guess there were 'higher considerations'.

Coincidentally, Scripps board of directors includes Dr Ge Li, founder of WuXi PharmaTech.

WuXi AppTec website: Ge Li, Ph.D, Chairman and CEO (:)
Scientist and entrepreneur leading WuXi since its founding in 2000. Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Columbia University. Awards and honors include "2018 SAPA Distinguished Achievement Award", "2018 The 40 Most Influential People in Pharmaceutical Industry in Commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of Reform and Opening-up", "2016 CBA Brilliant Achievement Award".

CBA stands for Chinese Biopharmaceutical Association, USA.