Henrietta Lacks' Family Sues Novartis, Viatris in Maryland on Monday Over HeLa Cells

Aug 5, 2024, 08:48 PM

The family of Henrietta Lacks has filed a federal lawsuit in Maryland on Monday against pharmaceutical companies Novartis and Viatris. The lawsuit alleges that these companies profited from the use of Lacks' tissue cells, known as immortal HeLa cells, which were taken from her body in the 1950s without her consent. This marks the third lawsuit by Lacks' family seeking damages from pharmaceutical giants for the unauthorized use of her cells, which have been instrumental in numerous medical research and development projects.