Henrietta Lacks's family suing more pharmaceutical companies over use of immortal HeLa cells

BALTIMORE - The family of Henrietta Lacks filed a lawsuit against two more pharmaceutical companies for profiting from her immortal HeLa cells without their consent.

Lacks' family is suing Novartis and Viatris, alleging these multibillion-dollar biopharmaceutical corporations unjustly enriched themselves by profiting from Lacks's genetic material without her family's consent.

"Novartis and Viatris made conscious choices to commercialize the living genetic material of Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman, grandmother, and community leader whose tissue was taken without her knowledge or consent by doctors she trusted with her life," said attorney Chris Ayers. "We will continue to pursue justice for Mrs. Lacks and her family."  

The family is on a quest to get compensation for Lacks' immortal HeLa cells. They were taken without her permission while she was being treated for cervical cancer at Johns Hopkins in 1951.

The cells are considered a cornerstone in modern medicine and are responsible for countless medical innovations, like the polio and COVID-19 vaccines.

"The world now knows the story of Henrietta Lacks, which makes it all the more shocking, though not surprising, that pharmaceutical giants Novartis and Viatris continue to profit off the deeply unethical origins of HeLa cells and the disturbing history of medical racism," said attorney Chris Seeger. "Representing the Lacks family and preserving Mrs. Lacks's legacy is one of the greatest honors of my career. We pledge to hold these companies accountable for exploiting her stolen cells."

Previously, the family had filed a lawsuit against Ultragenyx and settled a suit brought against Thermo Fisher Scientific.