In a landmark settlement, descendants of Henrietta Lacks have reached an agreement with a biotechnology company, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., that they sued in 2021. The lawsuit accused the company’s leaders of profiting billions of dollars from a racist medical system. The settlement comes more than 70 years after doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital took Lacks’ cervical cells without her knowledge.
Lacks’ cells, known as HeLa cells, were taken from her tumor before she died of cervical cancer. These cells became the first human cells to be successfully cloned and have since played a pivotal role in numerous scientific and medical advancements, including the development of vaccines for polio and COVID-19. Despite their immense impact, the Lacks family had never received compensation.
Lawyers for the family argued that Thermo Fisher Scientific continued to commercialize the results from Lacks’ cells long after their origins became well known. The settlement agreement was reached after a day of closed-door negotiations in Baltimore’s federal courthouse. The terms of the agreement remain confidential.
HeLa cells have unique properties that have allowed them to thrive and be cultivated indefinitely in laboratories. This extraordinary quality has made it possible for scientists around the world to reproduce studies using identical cells. The story of Lacks’ cells and their impact on the medical field was documented in the bestselling book “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot, and a film adaptation starring Oprah Winfrey.
Lacks, a poor tobacco farmer from southern Virginia, was 31 when she died and was buried in an unmarked grave. Johns Hopkins stated that they never sold or profited from the cell lines, although many companies have patented methods of using them.
The lawsuit filed by Lacks’ descendants highlights a larger issue of racism within the American medical system. It argues that Lacks’ exploitation is representative of the struggles faced by Black people throughout history and questions the history of medical experimentation in the United States.
Notably, Attorney Ben Crump, who represents the Lacks family, announced the settlement. Crump is well-known for his work in civil rights and advocating for racial justice. In recognition of Lacks’ contributions to modern medicine, U.S. senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin have introduced a bill to posthumously award her the Congressional Gold Medal.
This settlement marks a significant step towards acknowledging the injustices faced by Henrietta Lacks and her family, as well as addressing the larger issues of racial inequality within the medical system. The impact of her cells will continue to shape the future of scientific and medical advancements.
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