Novartis settles with Henrietta Lacks' estate over use of her 'stolen' cells to advance medicine [View all]

Source: The Independent

Thursday 26 February 2026 19:55 EST


Novartis has settled a lawsuit by the estate of Henrietta Lacks that alleged the pharmaceutical giant unjustly profited off her cells, which were taken from her tumor without her knowledge in 1951 and reproduced in labs to enable major medical advancements, including the polio vaccine.

Details of the agreement, which was finalized in federal court in Maryland this month, aren't public.

The Lacks family and Swiss-based Novartis said in a joint statement that they are “pleased they were able to find a way to resolve this matter filed by Henrietta Lacks' Estate outside of court” but aren't commenting further.

It’s the second settlement in lawsuits filed by the estate that accused biomedical businesses of reaping rewards from a racist medical system that took advantage of Black patients like Lacks. The settlement ends litigation between Novartis, one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies, and the estate of Lacks, a mother who died of cervical cancer at age 31 and was buried in an unmarked grave.

Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/novartis-maryland-oprah-winfrey-lawyers-swiss-b2928586.html