Thermo Fisher Scientific settles with family of Henrietta Lacks, whose HeLa cells uphold medicine

The family of Henrietta Lacks is settling a lawsuit against a biotechnology company it accuses of improperly profiting from her cells. Their federal lawsuit in Baltimore claimed Thermo Fisher Scientific has made billions from tissue taken without the Black woman’s concent from her cervical cancer tumor. They were the the first human cells to be successfully cloned and have been reproduced infinitely ever since, becoming a cornerstone of modern medicine. The settlement came after closed-door negotiations all day Monday. Attorney Ben Crump represents the Lacks family. He said the terms of the agreement are confidential.