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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tby Jeroslyn JoVonn <\/a><\/p>\n February 25, 2026<\/p>\n The Henrietta Lacks estate has secured a settlement with Novartis over the unauthorized use of her cancer cells, while additional lawsuits remain ongoing.<\/p>\n The estate of Henrietta Lacks has reached a settlement with Novartis over claims<\/a> the company benefited from the unauthorized use of her cells in medical research for decades following her death.<\/p>\n The terms of the settlement remain confidential, but the agreement brings an end<\/a> to the legal dispute between Novartis and the estate of Henrietta Lacks, Fierce Pharma reported.<\/p>\n The victory comes two years after a federal lawsuit was filed in Baltimore in August 2024 against Novartis and Viatris, where the family sought a jury trial, and the full profits they alleged were earned through the companies\u2019 use of Lacks\u2019 cells without consent.<\/p>\n \u201cMembers of the family of Henrietta Lacks and Novartis are pleased they were able to find a way to resolve this matter filed by Henrietta Lacks\u2019 Estate outside of court,\u201d a statement read.<\/p>\n Although the case against Novartis has been settled, the estate\u2019s claims against Viatris are still ongoing, along with a separate 2023 lawsuit against rare-disease company Ultragenyx, which the family alleges profited heavily by using Lacks\u2019 cells as a \u201cfactory\u201d for its gene therapy products. Novartis becomes the second biopharmaceutical company to settle with the estate, following an undisclosed 2023 agreement that resolved a two-year-old \u201cunjust enrichment\u201d lawsuit between the family and Thermo Fisher.<\/p>\n The lawsuits center on the unauthorized removal of Lacks\u2019 cancer cells in 1951, which <\/a>led to the creation of<\/a>\u00a0the first immortal human cell line, HeLa. Taken from a tumor during her cervical cancer treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, the cells were later cultured by scientist George Otto Gey and went on to transform modern medicine.<\/p>\n Capable of dividing indefinitely, HeLa cells helped develop the polio vaccine, advance cancer research, and support COVID-19 studies. Despite their global impact, Lacks\u2019 family did not receive compensation until a legal settlement was reached in 2023.<\/p>\n Although Johns Hopkins never profited from HeLa cells, pharmaceutical companies and research institutions have secured thousands of patents using the cell line. According to the lawsuits, Novartis and Viatris were long aware of the cells\u2019 origins. A 2021 Novartis web post even referenced Lacks\u2019 story while promoting an initiative to address health disparities through community-based action.<\/p>\n The complaint alleges that Novartis used HeLa cells in the development of products such as<\/a> the herpes treatment Famvir, the CAR-T therapy Kymriah, and the gene therapy Zolgensma, while Viatris treatments cited include the antidepressant mirtazapine and the herpes medication Denavir. Lacks\u2019 story gained global attention through The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot\u2019s 2010 bestseller, which was later adapted into a 2017 HBO film of the same name starring Oprah Winfrey.<\/p>\n