The estate of Henrietta Lacks has reached an agreement with Novartis to settle a dispute regarding the unauthorized use of her cancer cells in medical research.[1][2] The cells were taken without consent in 1951 from a tumor during treatment for cervical cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.[1] These cells form the first immortal human HeLa cell line, which transformed modern medicine.[1] A federal lawsuit was filed in August 2024 in Baltimore against Novartis and Viatris, where the family sought a jury trial and full profits from the use of the cells.[1] Terms of the deal are confidential, and Novartis becomes the second biopharmaceutical company to deal with the property, following Thermo Fisher in 2023.[1] The litigation against Viatris is ongoing, as is a separate 2023 lawsuit against Ultragenyx.[1] The settlement ends the legal dispute out of court, according to a statement from the parties involved.[1]