Novartis Reaches Settlement with Henrietta Lacks' Estate Over Cell Use Lawsuit
Novartis has reached a settlement with the estate of Henrietta Lacks, resolving a lawsuit that accused the pharmaceutical company of benefiting from her cells without her consent. Henrietta Lacks' cells were taken from her tumor in 1951 and used in research that led to significant medical breakthroughs, such as the development of the polio vaccine. The terms of the settlement, which was recently concluded in federal court in Maryland, have not been disclosed.