John N. Mafi, MD, MPH

A research team led by Dr. John Mafi was awarded a $200,000 grant from the Commonwealth Fund to study the equitable distribution and effects of FDA-authorized therapies targeting COVID-19, such as Paxlovid, in the United States.

The team will also examine the use of low-value therapies, such as ivermectin, said Mafi, associate professor-in-residence of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

The project, which began earlier this month, builds off research that Mafi led finding that some of the most socioeconomically disadvantaged Americans, such as those dually eligible for coverage through Medicare and Medicaid, were far less likely than those with other insurance plans to return to using outpatient services at rates approaching normal pre-pandemic levels. That research was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in January 2022.

Original Article: "Researchers receive grant to study equitable distribution of COVID therapies"