Novartis Settles Lawsuit by Lacks’ Estate Over ‘Stolen’ Cells

Novartis has reached a settlement with the estate of Henrietta Lacks, resolving a lawsuit that claimed the pharmaceutical company unjustly profited from cells taken from Lacks’ tumor in 1951 without her knowledge. These cells, known as HeLa cells, became the first human cells to continuously grow in a lab and were crucial for medical advancements like the polio vaccine and COVID-19 vaccines. The details of the settlement are confidential, but it marks the second such agreement for the Lacks estate, which previously settled with Thermo Fisher Scientific. The estate argues that companies have commercially benefited from the cells without proper compensation to the family, despite the cells’ immense contribution to science and medicine.

The lawsuit sought the full amount of Novartis’ net profits from commercializing the HeLa cell line, which the complaint described as originating from “stolen cells.” While Johns Hopkins Hospital, where the cells were originally taken, stated it did not profit from the cell lines, numerous companies have patented uses for them. Ongoing litigation remains with Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical and Viatris.

Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman and tobacco farmer, died of cervical cancer at age 31. Her cells’ unique ability to reproduce indefinitely revolutionized medical research, but her family faced hardship and lacked health insurance while the cells generated significant value for others. The story gained wider recognition through Rebecca Skloot’s book, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” and an HBO film adaptation.

(Source：Insurance Journal)