Henrietta Lacks' Family Settles Lawsuit Over Use of Her Cells

The settlement with Novartis is the second lawsuit the family has won over the unauthorized use of Lacks' cells.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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The family of Henrietta Lacks, whose cells were taken without her consent while she was being treated for cervical cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1951, has settled a lawsuit with pharmaceutical company Novartis. Lacks' cells have been used to develop numerous medical treatments, but her family was never compensated. This is the second lawsuit the Lacks family has won over the unauthorized use of Henrietta's cells.

Why it matters

Henrietta Lacks' cells, known as HeLa cells, have been instrumental in advancing modern medicine, yet her family has not benefited financially from their widespread use. This settlement represents an important step in recognizing the Lacks family's rights and providing them with some compensation for the immense value their relative's cells have provided to the medical industry.

The details

Henrietta Lacks was a 31-year-old African American woman who was receiving treatment for cervical cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1951 when her cancer cells were taken without her knowledge or consent. These cells, known as HeLa cells, have since been used to develop numerous medical breakthroughs, including vaccines for polio, COVID-19, and HPV, as well as treatments for HIV/AIDS, leukemia, Parkinson's, and the flu. However, the Lacks family was never compensated for the use of Henrietta's cells. In August 2025, the family filed a lawsuit against Novartis, alleging the company had used HeLa cells for profit without permission. The two parties have now reached a confidential settlement.

  • Henrietta Lacks died in 1951 at the age of 31.
  • Her cells were taken without her knowledge or consent while she was receiving treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
  • In August 2025, the Lacks family filed a lawsuit against Novartis over the use of HeLa cells.
  • The settlement between the Lacks family and Novartis was announced in March 2026.

The players

Henrietta Lacks

An African American woman whose cancer cells, taken without her consent, have been instrumental in advancing modern medicine.

Novartis

A Swiss-based pharmaceutical company that was sued by the Lacks family for using HeLa cells for profit without permission.

Ben Crump

The lawyer representing the Lacks family in the lawsuit against Novartis.

Cigall Kadoch

An associate professor at Harvard Medical School who commented on the significance of the Lacks case.

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What they’re saying

“To the modern researcher, the fact that cells were taken and established into an immortalized, forever-growing cell line from a patient that didn't know that happened is astounding.”

— Cigall Kadoch, Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School (Boston Globe)

“For the family and her grandchildren, this is certainly justice because people said they would never realize any benefit or compensation from her immortal HeLa cells, even though these pharmaceutical companies were profiting billions and billions of dollars.”

— Ben Crump, Lawyer for the Lacks family (The New York Times)

What’s next

The details of the settlement between the Lacks family and Novartis are confidential, but the agreement represents an important step in recognizing the family's rights over Henrietta Lacks' cells and providing them with some compensation.

The takeaway

This case highlights the complex ethical issues surrounding the use of human biological materials in medical research and the need to ensure that individuals and their families are properly informed and compensated when their cells are used for commercial purposes. The Lacks family's perseverance in seeking justice for Henrietta's legacy serves as an important reminder of the importance of patient rights and informed consent in the medical field.