Family of Henrietta Lacks Reaches Settlement with Thermo Fisher Scientific, Signaling an End to a Long Legal Battle.

A settlement has been reached between the family of Henrietta Lacks and the biotechnology company Thermo Fisher Scientific. Lacks, a Black woman, had her cervical cells taken without her knowledge or consent in 1951 while she was seeking cancer treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

These cells, known as HeLa cells, have become a cornerstone of modern medicine, enabling countless scientific and medical innovations, including the development of the polio vaccine, genetic mapping, and even Covid-19 vaccines.

The family of Henrietta Lacks had sued the company in 2021, accusing its leaders of reaping billions of dollars from a racist medical system. The settlement was announced by a lawyer for the family, but the terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.

HeLa cells have been reproduced infinitely since they were taken from Lacks in 1951, and they have been used in a variety of medical breakthroughs. They are the first human cells to be successfully cloned, and they have been instrumental in the development of treatments for cancer, HIV, and other diseases.

The settlement between the family of Henrietta Lacks and Thermo Fisher Scientific marks the end of a long legal battle. It is a reminder of the importance of recognizing the contributions of individuals to medical science and of the need to ensure that consent is obtained before using someone’s cells for research.