Family of Henrietta Lacks Files Lawsuit Against Company That Used Her Cells Without Consent

The descendants of community leader Henrietta Lacks sued the pharmaceutical company who used her cancer cells without her permission.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump announced the case filed in Maryland against Thermo Fisher Scientific on the 70th anniversary of Henrietta Lacks’ death from cervical cancer. The complaint states that the company purposely mass-produced the living tissue of Henrietta Lacks that was removed from her at Johns Hopkins Hospital, though she never gave her permission. 

Lacks passed away on October 4th, 1951, after spending almost two months at Johns Hopkins. While she was receiving cancer treatments, doctors extracted her cells from a biopsied tumor without her consent. HeLa cells became well-known as a result of the research. They were divided and stayed viable in test tubes outside of her body, allowing researchers to distribute the cell line and continue testing. HeLa cells have since been utilized in the development of vaccinations, cancer therapies, and AIDS studies, among other medical breakthroughs. The Lacks family say they never received any compensation for the use of the woman’s cells.

Crump maintains that the lawsuit is meant to hold Thermo Fisher accountable and reiterate that “Black people have the right to control their bodies.” 

The lawsuit points out that in the 1950s, white doctors with Johns Hopkins frequently and unjustly experimented on Black women with cervical cancer and removed tissue samples without their knowledge.

The family is seeking unspecified damages.

Thermo Fisher Scientific must do RIGHT by Henrietta Lacks' family! This pharmaceutical company has unjustly profited off her immortal cells & has yet to compensate Henrietta's heirs. Her family deserves to define her legacy for future generations! #geneticjustice pic.twitter.com/YWXoVaulMU

— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) October 6, 2021