# Henrietta Lacks

Type: Person

Source: Biotech Intelligence Brief — https://getbiobrief.com/entity/henrietta-lacks
Canonical HTML page: https://getbiobrief.com/entity/henrietta-lacks

## Timeline

- **2026-02-27**: Novartis Settlement — Novartis announces a confidential settlement with the Henrietta Lacks estate.
- **2024**: Ultragenyx Settlement — Ultragenyx settles with the estate over HeLa cell usage in gene therapy research.
- **2023**: Thermo Fisher Settlement — Thermo Fisher Scientific reaches a historic settlement with the Lacks family.
- **2021**: First Major Lawsuit — The Lacks estate files its first major lawsuit against Thermo Fisher Scientific.
- **1953**: Mass Production — HeLa cells are mass-produced and distributed globally, becoming a cornerstone of modern research.
- **1951**: Cells Harvested — Henrietta Lacks' cells are harvested without consent during cancer treatment at Johns Hopkins.

## Recent coverage (1 stories)

### Novartis Settles With Henrietta Lacks Estate Over HeLa Cell Usage
2026-02-27 01:28:17 · Sentiment: Neutral · Impact: 5/10 · Sources: 2

Novartis has reached a confidential settlement with the estate of Henrietta Lacks, ending litigation over the unauthorized use of her 'immortal' HeLa cells. This marks the latest in a series of legal victories for the Lacks family against pharmaceutical giants that profited from cells taken without consent in 1951.
Full story: https://getbiobrief.com/story/novartis-settles-henrietta-lacks-hela-lawsuit

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