Novartis Settles with Henrietta Lacks' Estate Over Use of Her Cells

The pharmaceutical giant reaches an agreement over profiting from the pioneering HeLa cell line without compensation to Lacks' family.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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Novartis has settled a lawsuit filed by the estate of Henrietta Lacks, whose cancer cells were taken and used without her knowledge in 1951 to enable major medical advancements. The details of the agreement are not public, but the Lacks family and Novartis said they were able to resolve the matter outside of court.

Why it matters

This settlement is the second reached by the Lacks estate, which has accused biomedical companies of unjustly profiting from the use of Henrietta Lacks' cells, known as the HeLa cell line, without compensating her family. The case highlights longstanding concerns about the exploitation of marginalized patients, particularly Black Americans, in the medical industry.

The details

Doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital took Lacks' cervical cancer cells in 1951 without her knowledge or consent. Those cells, which became the first human cells to continuously grow and reproduce in lab dishes, went on to enable countless scientific and medical innovations, including the development of the polio vaccine and COVID-19 vaccines. However, the Lacks family was never compensated for the use of Henrietta's cells, which have been commercialized by various companies over the decades.

  • Henrietta Lacks' cells were taken from her tumor in 1951.
  • Lacks died of cervical cancer at the age of 31 in the same year.
  • In 2024, the Lacks estate filed a lawsuit against Novartis, one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies.
  • The settlement between Novartis and the Lacks estate was finalized in federal court in Maryland in early 2026.

The players

Henrietta Lacks

A poor tobacco farmer from southern Virginia who had her cervical cancer cells taken without her knowledge in 1951, leading to the creation of the pioneering HeLa cell line that has enabled countless medical advancements.

Novartis

A Swiss-based pharmaceutical giant that was sued by the Lacks estate for unjustly profiting off Henrietta Lacks' cells.

Lacks Estate

The family of Henrietta Lacks, who have filed multiple lawsuits against biomedical companies for commercializing the HeLa cell line without compensating the Lacks family.

Johns Hopkins Hospital

The hospital where Henrietta Lacks' cervical cancer cells were taken in 1951 without her knowledge or consent.

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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)

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

What’s next

The details of the settlement between Novartis and the Lacks estate are not public, but the case highlights the ongoing efforts by the Lacks family to seek compensation and recognition for the use of Henrietta Lacks' cells in the medical industry.

The takeaway

This settlement is the latest development in the long-running saga of the Lacks family's fight for justice and recognition over the use of Henrietta Lacks' cells, which have been central to countless medical breakthroughs but have never resulted in compensation for her family. The case underscores the need for greater accountability and ethical practices in the biomedical industry when it comes to the exploitation of marginalized patients.