Henrietta Lacks's Family Settles Suit With Novartis Over Use of Her Cells

The pharmaceutical giant acknowledged profiting from the HeLa cell line without consent.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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The family of Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman whose cancer cells were taken and used in groundbreaking research without her consent in 1951, has reached a settlement with the pharmaceutical company Novartis. The lawsuit accused Novartis of amassing substantial profits through the use of the HeLa cell line, which was developed from Lacks's cells. Novartis and the Lacks family have not disclosed the terms of the agreement.

Why it matters

Henrietta Lacks's cells, known as HeLa cells, have been instrumental in developing numerous medical treatments, yet her family has not been compensated for the commercial use of her cells. This case highlights the ethical issues surrounding the use of patient samples without consent and the need for greater protections and compensation for individuals whose cells are used for profit.

The details

In 1951, Lacks's cervical cancer cells were taken from her at Johns Hopkins Hospital without her knowledge or consent. These cells, known as HeLa cells, were the first to reproduce outside the human body and have been used in groundbreaking research, including the development of vaccines for polio and COVID-19. Novartis, a pharmaceutical company based in Switzerland, owns hundreds of patents that were developed through the use of HeLa cells. The Lacks family filed a federal lawsuit in 2024 accusing Novartis of profiting from the use of Lacks's cells without permission.

  • In 1951, Lacks's cervical cancer cells were taken from her at Johns Hopkins Hospital without her knowledge or consent.
  • In August 2024, more than 70 years after Lacks's death, her family filed a federal lawsuit in Maryland that accused Novartis of amassing substantial profits through the use of the HeLa cell line.
  • In August 2023, the Lacks family announced that it had reached an undisclosed settlement with Thermo Fisher Scientific, another company accused of unjustly profiting from Lacks's cell line.

The players

Henrietta Lacks

A Black woman whose cervical cancer cells were taken and used in groundbreaking research without her consent in 1951.

Novartis

A pharmaceutical company based in Switzerland that owns hundreds of patents developed through the use of HeLa cells, Lacks's cell line.

Thermo Fisher Scientific

A Massachusetts-based firm that the Lacks family accused of selling the cells and trying to secure intellectual property rights on the products the cells had helped develop, without compensating the family or seeking its permission.

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What’s next

The Lacks family still has pending litigation against two other pharmaceutical companies: Viatris, based in Canonsburg, Pa., and Ultragenyx, based in Novato, Calif.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing ethical issues surrounding the use of patient samples without consent and the need for greater protections and compensation for individuals whose cells are used for commercial profit, even decades after their death. The Lacks family's efforts to seek justice for Henrietta Lacks's legacy continue to raise awareness about these important issues in medical research.