Henrietta Lacks: Family of woman whose cells were 'stolen' settles second lawsuit

February 28, 2026

In 1951, doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital took cervical cancer cells from Henrietta Lacks, a 31-year-old Black woman from Baltimore, without her knowledge or permission, and these cells became "immortal" by continuing to reproduce indefinitely in laboratories. These HeLa cells were distributed worldwide and contributed to major medical breakthroughs including the polio vaccine and advances in HIV and cancer research, while Lacks died from cancer months after her diagnosis and her family received no compensation. Seventy years later, Lacks' family has now reached a confidential settlement with Swiss biotech company Novartis, marking their second legal victory after previously settling with Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Who is affected

Henrietta Lacks (deceased), a Black woman whose cells were taken without consent in 1951
Henrietta Lacks' family members, including her grandchildren
Novartis (Switzerland-based biotech company)
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc (Massachusetts-based biotech company that settled previously)
Other drug companies facing ongoing lawsuits

What action is being taken

Several lawsuits against other drug companies remain ongoing.

Why it matters

This case represents a significant issue of medical ethics, racial justice, and informed consent. Despite Henrietta Lacks' cells enabling billions of dollars in profits and contributing to life-saving medical breakthroughs like the polio vaccine and advances in HIV, cancer, and infertility research over seven decades, her family never received compensation or even awareness of how her biological material was being used. The settlements acknowledge the exploitation of a Black woman's body without consent and provide her descendants some recognition and compensation for the enormous commercial and scientific value derived from her cells.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC