Novartis Settles Lawsuit Over Use of Henrietta Lacks' "Stolen" Cells

The pharmaceutical giant reached an agreement with Lacks' estate over profiting from her cells without compensation.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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Novartis has settled a lawsuit filed by the estate of Henrietta Lacks, alleging the pharmaceutical company unjustly profited off her cells, which were taken from her tumor without her knowledge in 1951 and became a cornerstone of modern medicine. The details of the agreement are not public, but both parties say they are "pleased" to have resolved the matter outside of court.

Why it matters

This case highlights the longstanding ethical issues around the use of patient samples, particularly from marginalized communities, for medical research and commercial gain without consent or compensation. Lacks' story has become a symbol of the racial injustices in the healthcare system.

The details

Doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital took Lacks' cervical cells in 1951 without her knowledge, and the tissue taken from her tumor before she died became the first human cells to continuously grow and reproduce in lab dishes. HeLa cells became a cornerstone of modern medicine, enabling countless scientific and medical innovations, including the development of genetic mapping and even COVID-19 vaccines, but the Lacks family wasn't compensated along the way.

  • Henrietta Lacks' cells were taken from her tumor in 1951.
  • Novartis settled the lawsuit with Lacks' estate in February 2026.

The players

Novartis

A Swiss-based pharmaceutical company, one of the world's largest.

Henrietta Lacks

A poor tobacco farmer from Virginia whose cancer cells, taken without her knowledge in 1951, became a cornerstone of modern medicine.

Lacks' Estate

The family of Henrietta Lacks, who have filed multiple lawsuits alleging unjust profiting off her "stolen" cells.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

The takeaway

This settlement is the latest in a series of legal actions by the Lacks family to seek recognition and compensation for the outsized impact Henrietta Lacks' cells have had on modern medicine, despite the racial injustices that allowed them to be taken and used without her knowledge or consent.