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Novartis settles with Henrietta Lacks' estate over use of her 'stolen' cells to advance medicine

General • February 27, 2026

Novartis settles with estate-over-use-of-her-cancer-cells-to-advance-medicine'>Henrietta Lacks' estate over use of her 'stolen' cells to advance medicine is drawing significant interest across the industry.

Novartis has settled a lawsuit by the estate of Henrietta Lacks that alleged the pharmaceutical giant unjustly profited off her cells, which were taken from her tumor without her knowledge in 1951 and reproduced in labs to enable major medical advancements, including the polio vaccine. The agreement was finalized in federal court this month, but details aren’t public. The Lacks family and Swiss-based Novartis said in a joint statement that they are “pleased they were able to find a way to resolve this matter filed by Henrietta Lacks’ Estate outside of court” but aren’t commenting further.

Experts suggest this could influence future trends and innovation in the sector.

More updates are expected as the story develops.


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