In a significant development, lawyers for the descendants of Henrietta Lacks, the woman whose cervical cells were taken without her consent 70 years ago, have announced a settlement with a biotechnology company. The family had sued the company, accusing its leaders of profiting from a racist medical system. These cells, known as HeLa cells, have played a crucial role in medical breakthroughs, including the development of vaccines for polio and COVID-19. Despite their immense contribution, the Lacks family had never received compensation for their use.
Henrietta Lacks’ cells were taken in 1951, a time when consent procedures in medical and scientific research were not in place. However, lawyers for her family argued that the biotechnology company, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., had commercialized the results and continued to profit from them long after the origin of the HeLa cell line was known. The settlement was reached after a day-long closed-door negotiation in a federal courthouse in Baltimore. The terms of the agreement remain confidential.
HeLa cells exhibited unique properties as they could survive and thrive in laboratories, unlike other cell samples. This remarkable quality allowed scientists to cultivate and reproduce the cells indefinitely, making them the first immortalized human cell line. The impact of this scientific breakthrough, as well as its effect on the Lacks family, who had suffered from chronic illnesses without health insurance, was documented in Rebecca Skloot’s bestselling book, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” which was later adapted into an HBO movie featuring Oprah Winfrey.
Henrietta Lacks, a poor tobacco farmer from southern Virginia, passed away at the age of 31 and was buried in an unmarked grave. Johns Hopkins Hospital, where her cells were taken, maintained that they never sold or profited from the cell lines. However, various companies have patented ways of using these cells. Thermo Fisher argued that the case should be dismissed due to the statute of limitations, but the family’s attorneys argued that it should not apply since the company continues to benefit from the cells. The settlement was announced on what would have been Henrietta Lacks’ 103rd birthday, bringing justice and relief to her family after a long fight of over 70 years.
(Read more Henrietta Lacks stories.)
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