And imprisoned journalist and former Black Panther Mumia Abu-Jamal will begin taking a new fast-acting drug for his hepatitis C this week after winning a legal victory in federal court. The treatment has a 90 percent cure rate. Pennsylvania prison officials say it can cost $50,000 per person, and have sued in order to limit its use. Abu-Jamal’s lawyers say the decision paves the way for thousands more prisoners to get treated. But his lawyers also noted Abu-Jamal got sicker while the case was under appeal, and has since been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver.
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