Novartis Reaches Settlement in Henrietta Lacks Cell Profiting Lawsuit
In a significant development, the pharmaceutical giant Novartis has settled a lawsuit filed by the estate of Henrietta Lacks, which accused the company of unjustly profiting from her cells. These cells were taken from her tumor without her knowledge in 1951 and have since been reproduced in laboratories, enabling major medical advancements such as the polio vaccine.
Details of the Agreement and Legal Context
The settlement was finalized this month in federal court in Maryland, though specific terms remain confidential. In a joint statement, the Lacks family and Swiss-based Novartis expressed satisfaction at resolving the matter outside of court, but declined further comment. This marks the second settlement in lawsuits by the estate targeting biomedical firms for allegedly benefiting from a racist medical system that exploited Black patients like Lacks.
The litigation has now concluded between Novartis, one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies, and the estate of Henrietta Lacks, a mother who died of cervical cancer at age 31 and was buried in an unmarked grave. The 2024 lawsuit sought from Novartis the full amount of its net profits from commercializing the HeLa cell line, described in the complaint as derived from "stolen cells."
Historical Background and Impact of HeLa Cells
Doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital harvested Lacks' cervical cells in 1951 without her consent, and the tissue from her tumor became the first human cells to continuously grow and reproduce in lab dishes. Known as HeLa cells, they have become a cornerstone of modern medicine, facilitating countless innovations including genetic mapping and COVID-19 vaccines. Despite this incalculable impact, the Lacks family has not been compensated over the years.
Johns Hopkins has stated it never sold or profited from the cell lines, but numerous companies have patented methods for using them. In 2023, the estate reached an undisclosed settlement with Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., where lawyers argued the company continued to commercialize the cells long after their origins were known, unjustly enriching itself.
Ongoing Legal Battles and Family Legacy
Other lawsuits by the Lacks estate remain pending. Just over a week after the Thermo Fisher settlement, attorneys filed a lawsuit against Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical in Baltimore federal court, with litigation also active against Viatris, a pharmaceutical company. Family attorneys have indicated that additional complaints may be filed in the future.
Henrietta Lacks was a poor tobacco farmer from southern Virginia who moved with her husband to Turner Station, a historically Black community near Baltimore. While raising five children, doctors discovered a tumor in her cervix and saved a sample of her cancer cells during a biopsy. Unlike most cell samples, her cells survived and thrived in labs, becoming the first immortalized human cell line that scientists could cultivate indefinitely, allowing for reproducible research worldwide.
The remarkable science and its effects on the Lacks family, some of whom faced chronic illnesses without health insurance, were documented in Rebecca Skloot's bestselling 2010 book, "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks." The story was later adapted into an HBO movie, with Oprah Winfrey portraying Lacks' daughter.
