Settlement Reached: Henrietta Lacks' Family Resolves HeLa Cells Lawsuit

The family of Henrietta Lacks, whose cervical cells were taken without her consent in 1951 and became the first immortalized human cell line known as HeLa cells, has reached a settlement with Thermo Fisher Scientific. The family sued the biotechnology company, accusing it of profiting from a racist medical system. The terms of the settlement are confidential. Lacks' cells have played a crucial role in scientific and medical advancements, including the development of the polio vaccine and COVID-19 vaccines. The Lacks family had never been compensated for the commercialization of the cells.